


Guns and Roses

by Remembrance



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Magical Boys, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst and Humor, Comedy, Cute, Dorks, Dorks in Love, Dry Humping, Explicit Sexual Content, Fingerfucking, First Time, Fluff, Hand Jobs, Heavy at Times, Humor, Light at Times, M/M, Modern Fantasy, Mutual Masturbation, Oral Sex, Outdoor Sex, Paranormal, Serious at Times, Sex, Silly at Times, Some angst, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-01
Updated: 2016-04-05
Packaged: 2018-04-18 14:42:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 40
Words: 215,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4709750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Remembrance/pseuds/Remembrance
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p> Transferring in the last year of high school is tough. He doesn’t want to make friends. He wants to go in, get the year over with, and move on. The last thing Iwaizumi Hajime expects when he enters the classroom, though, is to see Oikawa Tooru – his best friend from camp, five years ago – sitting in the back. The second last thing he ever expects is that the two of them are going to spend the year making out and trying to save the world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Anfang

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Resmiranda](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Resmiranda/gifts).



> Haven't posted anything in a while, but I'm really excited about this project. Before even posting the first chapter, I've been working on this fic for six months. This fic is a mix of stupid, funny, crazy, touch of angst, some smut, just a little bit of everything. 
> 
> This fic is gifted to Resmiranda who has supported me so much!
> 
>  _Warning:_ Oikawa refers to his genitals with words often associated with women (e.g. clit). Narrative noun choices are based on what words the characters would use for themselves. Some transmen use with words often associated with males (e.g. dick); some do not. Everyone's different. This may make some people uncomfortable, but he does explain his reasoning later on.
> 
> Earlier chapters (1-7) are beta'd by Sekseedragoness, while remaining chapters are beta'd by Nikooki. Any remaining mistakes are my own. Feel free to point them out (I am dyslexic, so they hide from me).

 Even though he knew people wanted heroes when danger was creeping up, he also knew that no one ever expected a seventeen year old guy in knee-high black socks, a light blue skirt, black sports bra, and an unbuttoned light blue dress shirt to be the one to save the day. That was half the reason Oikawa Tooru did it, though. In his left hand he had a long rifle, about two and a half meters in length (which was just longer than the average motorcycle) and in his right hand was a chainsaw. A lighter chainsaw, made to be wielded one-handed. Brilliantly blue in soft moonlight, Oikawa did a fluid flip over the creature – his opponent – and landed with grace.  
   
 “Pew pew, motherfucker!” Oikawa twisted his body and aimed his rifle. He fired. Photon—the quantum of light; electromagnetic radiation—blasted from the barrel, spearing the monster, and twisting the energy into a vortex. Oikawa spun on his heel and rested his rifle on his shoulder as, behind him, the vortex exploded. Wind rustled his skirt and open shirt, but he paid it no mind.  
   
 His attention was elsewhere.  
   
 There were more monsters to fight, more to battle, to kill.  
   
 “Alright,” purred Oikawa. He chuckled and guided his chainsaw through the air before aiming it at a group of them facing him. “Which one of you little shits are next, huh?”  
   
 ~~~  
   
 He yawned as he walked down the hall. A girl had stopped him to ask if he had stayed up late, a younger girl, and Oikawa laughed it off. “Hard to adjust back to school hours, right?” When he smiled at her, she squealed, and Oikawa’s smile turned to a smirk. Today would be a good day. Or at least he hoped it would. Oikawa happily waited for today’s ‘surprise’. He was all giddy, feeling a little bounce to his walk, and tingles all over. Today, his heart beat a little faster than usual, little warmer than usual. He had a skip in his step as he walked down the hallways of Aoba Johsai.  
   
 As he walked to his class, he pulled out his phone and used it as a mirror. His uniform hugged him tight in all the right places, loose around the collar. He made sure his hair was perfect before slipping his phone away. He opened the sliding door and skipped in. “Kou-chan!”  
   
 Sugawara Koushi barely had time to look up before Oikawa was petting his hair. Suga rolled his eyes. “Morning to you too.” He cocked his head away and smiled as he used his hands to get his hair back in order. “I saved you your favourite seat, next to the window.”  
   
 Oikawa threw his bag on the desk next to Suga’s and turned around. “Kou-chan move over.”  
   
 Suga blinked. “Huh?”  
   
 Oikawa began shooing him. “Move over. Someone’s going to sit next to me.”  
   
 “Who?”  
   
 “You’ll see. Just trust me, okay? Now go.”  
   
 “Harsh,” Suga said with a mock pout. “Even to your best friend.” But he grabbed his bag nonetheless. He didn’t really mind; well, not until he saw who would be sitting next to him on the next seat over. Both hands smacked his desk and he turned back to Oikawa. “No, no, no. No.”  
   
 Oikawa just grinned. “Come oooon, Kou-chan.” He lowered his voice as he said, “We all know you _like_ him…”  
   
 Suga’s cheeks tinted pink as he stole a quick glance of Sawamura Daichi before turning back to Oikawa. Keeping his head ducked down, he shook his head in such little shakes it looked like he was vibrating, cheeks slowly reddening.  
   
 “You’re so cute when you’re blushing, Kou-chan. He’ll want to bang you so hard. Now.” Oikawa made his serious face before throwing his hands in the air. In a powerful windmill-like motion, and a loud, loud clatter, he shoved Sugawara (bag and all) off the chair and into the one next in line.  
   
 Of course Oikawa hit with too much force, and Suga yelped as he crashed into the next chair. Suga covered his head as he felt the chair tipping over. He vaguely heard Oikawa say ‘Oops’ but before he hit the floor—something saved him. Someone saved him.  
   
 “Are you okay?” Daichi asked, voice low in a concerned whisper.  
   
 Sugawara opened his eyes to find both of Daichi’s arms around him as his chair was straightened up. “Y-Yeep.” Suga coughed. “Yep. Yes. Yes. I am fine.” Suga pulled away, face bright red. “I’m a hundred percent okay, yeah yes yep yes. Mhm.” Suga turned his body away from Daichi and covered his face, mortified and ignoring the sound of Oikawa’s laughter in the background.  
   
 When Suga finally calmed down he spent the next five minutes glaring at Oikawa, while Oikawa just returned the look with a constant teasing smile.  
   
 Students filtered into their new homeroom, and eventually the door opened once more. The talking quieted down when they realised their teacher, Ittetsu Takeda, walked in with another student who was taller than him. They spoke quietly for a moment before the student began writing the kanji of his name on the board.  
   
 “Alright.” Ittetsu smiled. “I’ve actually had all of you in my homeroom class before, so that’ll make attendance easy.” His eyes darted from student to paper as he checked the boxes. “But we have a new student this year.” He put his pen and paper down and turned. “Please welcome him.” He bowed about four times.  
   
 The student felt uncomfortable and rubbed his neck as he looked away. “I’m Iwaizumi Hajime… I look forward to the school year with all of you.” He gave a little bow and looked at the teacher.  
   
 Ittetsu smiled. “Feel free to take any seat.”  
   
 Iwaizumi was about to go for one of the desks at the front but—  
   
 “Iwa-chan!” Oikawa threw a hand in the air, waving excessively as if they were across a rock concert. “Iwa-chan! Here! Here!” Oikawa then proceeded to smack the empty desk next to him about four times.  
   
 Besides the banging, the classroom was quiet.  
   
 Iwaizumi’s eyes widened for a moment and his lips barely parted as he spoke, “To-Tooru?”  
   
 “Huh?” Oikawa gasped. “Totooru? That’s such a cute nickname!”  
   
 When Iwaizumi said nothing, Ittetsu coughed. “Do you know each other?”  
   
 Iwaizumi blinked. “Um… Yes. Kind of.”  
   
 “You don’t have to sit next to him, just to let you know.”  
   
 Oikawa continued to smack the desk.  
   
 “Um.” Iwaizumi swallowed. “It’s fine.” He adjusted the shoulder strap of his bag and awkwardly shuffled between the rows to take his seat next to Oikawa, who was smiling from ear to ear. As bewildered as he was, he couldn’t help but notice that smile wasn’t just cute, it was infectious. He did his best to keep a straight face, but the corners of his lips kept tugging up all through the class.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “Why are we on the roof?”  
   
 “Come on, Iwa-chan!” Oikawa tugged him up the stairs before opening the door. “Ah,” he said as a breeze of perfect spring air, warm and cool at the same time, brushed past them. If he was nervous about holding Iwaizumi’s hand, he didn’t show it. He pulled Iwaizumi with him and walked onto the roof. “Because this is where the anime protagonists go.”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s eyebrows knit into a frown.  
   
 “You don’t watch enough anime, Iwa-chan—which is _perfect_ because as club president this year, I formally invite you to the anime club!” He pulled his hand away and crossed his arms, puffing out his chest with a big grin.  
   
 Seconds passed before Iwaizumi even processed what was going on. “What are you even doing here?”  
   
 “Me?” He spun once. “I’m being gorgeous on the roof.”  
   
 “No, I mean… in class. In my class.”  
   
 “I was saving you a seat.”  
   
 Iwaizumi frowned. “Tooru!”  
   
 Oikawa snorted, unable to help himself, and took a step back. “Iwa-chan…”  
   
 “I’m going to smack you.”  
   
 “Right back to your old habits!”  
   
 Iwaizumi stared at Oikawa for a few seconds, another breeze passing them, little cherry blossom petals in the air. “You…” He sighed, looking away as he forced a frown. His heart was beating faster. He looked back at Oikawa. “Did you know I was coming?”  
   
 “Of course. I’m psychic.”  
   
 “Tooru.”  
   
 “I have magical powers to read minds.”  
   
 “Tooru.”  
   
 “Okay okay, I checked the class registry. Geez, calm down.”  
   
 “Oh.” Iwaizumi blinked. “Um. Anime club?”  
   
 “Yeah!” Oikawa smiled wide, but then his smile faltered. “You remember, right? When we used to geek over it?”  
   
 “Yeah. I remember.”  
   
 “Good.” Oikawa’s smile was not as wide now. “You still like it, right?”  
   
 “Yeah.” Iwaizumi looked him over, head to toe, noting how much he grew. “Yeah I do.”  
   
 “Good!” Oikawa’s smile brightened up again and he put his bag down. “Anyway! It’s lunchtime and we need to eat, and I made some! I’m perfect, right? As if the great deities made me perfect boyfriend material, or something. Here, come eat.”  
   
 Iwaizumi looked around before taking a seat on the roof. He was offered a bento box with a big red ribbon and he stared at it. There were hearts on the ribbon. Pink hearts. He was then offered chopsticks. Black chopsticks, plastic. They also had hearts on them. Pink hearts. He felt Oikawa staring at him so he tugged the ribbon and opened it up. “Wow…”  
   
 “Yeah?” Oikawa leaned forward. “I’m great, right?”  
   
 “Yeah.” Iwaizumi glanced from the homemade sushi rolls to the green salad to the grilled octopus to the assortments of little pickled things, and of course the steamed rice. “Octopus. Really?”  
   
 “Gotta celebrate the first day!”  
   
 “Um. Sure.” He looked up. “You… put a lot of time into this.”  
   
 “Yeah. It was my backup plan to guilt you into the anime club.”  
   
 “I wanted to join a sports team—”  
   
 “—but then!” Oikawa continued dramatically, “You found the cutest boy in the whole school who is totally flawless and he asked you, ‘Oh Iwa-chan won’t you join my club?’ and of course you said ‘For you, Your Highlyness, I would conquer Mars!’ and of course I was like ‘Eh no that’s fine just join my club!’ and you said yes!” Oikawa put a finger up and smiled.  
   
 Iwaizumi stared. “I want to hit you.”  
   
 “You already said that, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 Iwaizumi kept staring but he took a deep breath. “Will it…” He struggled to form words and he looked away. “Make you happy?”  
   
 “Huh?”  
   
 “If I join the anime club… would it make you happy?”  
   
 “Of course it would!”  
   
 “Then…” Iwaizumi sighed. “Okay. I’ll join…”  
   
 There was a slight pause in which Oikawa noted the slight tinge of warmth on Iwaizumi’s cheeks. He grinned victoriously before they began eating.  
   
 “Wow,” said Iwaizumi when they were halfway done. “This was a lot to do. Did you cook it all yourself?”  
   
 “Don’t ask stupid questions.” Oikawa grabbed a sushi roll with his chopsticks and brought it to Iwaizumi’s mouth, hand under it. “Now eat.”  
   
 “You are not feeding me, Tooru.”  
   
 “Open wide.”  
   
 “No.”  
   
 Oikawa bumped the sushi roll against Iwaizumi’s lips four times before Iwaizumi opened and took it. Oikawa laughed and smiled. “Was it that hard?”  
   
 After chewing and swallowing. “Did you make this by yourself?”  
   
 “Well… that depends what you mean by ‘by myself’.” Oikawa held eye contact for a minute before he sighed. “Okay…” He winced. “I got a little bit of help with it. I’m not this good of a cook.”  
   
 “What happened to being flawless?”  
   
 “I am flawless!” Oikawa pouted. “I am just… not totally perfect either. It’s not a flaw to not be an amazing chef!”  
   
 Iwaizumi tried to fight it, but he smiled. “I missed you…” His voice was quieter than ever before. “So much… I’m… I’m sorry, I—”  
   
 “—Nope!” Oikawa shook his head. “Not yet.”  
   
 “Huh?”  
   
 “We’ll have time for _that_ talk later… but if we start now we’re going to get cut off. So eat up, Iwa-chan. I paid Kou-chan like five hundred yen to help me with this.”  
   
 “That’s… not that much.”  
   
 “I know but I had to go through the trouble of stealing Koushi’s five hundred yen first.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 When Oikawa stepped into the anime club room, he announced his presence with a loud “Hola! That’s French for hello!”  
   
 Yachi bolted out of her seat, “A-Actually that’s—”  
   
 Sugawara cut her off with two pats to her head.  
   
 Oikawa scanned the room, doing a mental headcount. “Wow, look at this turn out. I was worried we’d be low on members with our senpai out of the way I mean gone, but as club president!” He thrust his hands into the air. “I’m going to make this the greatest year ever!”  
   
 “Oikawa-senpai!” Nishinoya squeaked.  
   
 Hinata fell to the floor. “He’s so cool!”  
   
 Iwaizumi stared at the two of them. “Why are there middle school kids in a high school?”  
   
 Nishinoya deflated and joined Hinata on the floor. The two of them didn’t get up.  
   
 Oikawa cleared his throat. “Anyway, everyone listen up. I forgot to introduce you guys to Iwa-chan.”  
   
 Iwaizumi coughed. “Iwaizumi Hajime.”  
   
 “One more male member to our group!” He turned to Iwaizumi. “We’re mostly made up of girls here, as you can see, so thank you for evening our side a little.” He patted his shoulder then walked to the centre of the room. “Well, let’s get started. Everyone take a seat.”  
   
 The room was a decent size for a clubroom. Half the room looked like a kitchen (and Iwaizumi guessed the room used to be occupied by either a tea club or a food club) while the other had carpets, chairs, bean bags, and a large projector. Iwaizumi reluctantly sat on the bean bag next to Oikawa. It was a lot more comfortable than he expected.  
   
 Oikawa clasped his hands together. “Welcome to the Aoba Johsai Anime Club—also infamously known as the school’s Boy’s Love Appreciation Group!”  
   
 Iwaizumi turned. “Wait.”  
   
 “Let’s have a great time!”  
   
 “What?”  
   
 “Remember to take great care of your library cards—you can’t loan any manga if you don’t—and if you get any late fees, pay off your fines. If you damage or lose a book, that’s fine, just let me know and I’ll have it replaced. We’ll get some first years in soon, so let’s all put our suggestions in a box and choose something super extra gay to scare off close minded people and so we don’t have to watch something boring. Got it?”  
   
 Everyone nodded.  
   
 Yachi thrust her hand into the air. “Um, excuse me?”  
   
 “No. We’re _not_ watching Boku no Pico.”  
   
 “But!—”  
   
 “No.”  
   
 Nishinoya cried out, “But!—”  
   
 “Nope.”  
   
 Hinata jumped out of his chair. “But!”  
   
 Oikawa pointed at them. “Y’all need Jesus.”  
   
 Hinata blinked. “Um. Who?”  
   
 Sugawara covered his face with his hand.  
   
 Within ten or so minutes, people were putting their votes in a cute little box and talking among each other. Iwaizumi sat at the table, next to Oikawa since he was the only person he knew. After a while it began calming down and people started going home. Iwaizumi stayed, watching Oikawa as he handled everything so… elegantly. Iwaizumi was lost in thought as he watched him. The way Oikawa talked, the way he smiled, the way he laughed—especially the way he laughed. Iwaizumi half wondered if someone was behind him shining angel light and playing angel choir sounds, because it really was brilliant beyond words. Iwaizumi swallowed hard, trying not to get caught staring, but he figured the whole club knew by now.  
   
 When there were only a few people left, Oikawa turned to him and smiled.  
   
 Iwaizumi looked away. “What did you get me into?”  
   
 “Um? The best experience of your life. Duh.” He yawned.  
   
 “Tired?”  
   
 “Mm. Yeah.” He watched someone else leave. “Didn’t sleep much.”  
   
 “You can rest your head for a bit.”  
   
 “Mmm. Yeah. Good idea.”  
   
 Instead of Oikawa resting on the table, he leaned over and rested his head on Iwaizumi’s shoulder. Within a minute, he was already softly snoring.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “Pew pew, motherfucker!” Oikawa twisted his body and aimed his rifle. He fired. Photon—the quantum of light, electromagnetic radiation—blasted from the barrel, spearing the monster, and twisting the energy into a vortex. Oikawa spun on his heel and rested his rifle on his shoulder as the vortex exploded behind him. Wind rustled his skirt and open shirt, but he paid it no mind.  
   
 His attention was elsewhere.  
   
 There were more monsters to fight, more to battle, to kill.  
   
 “Alright,” purred Oikawa. He chuckled and guided his chainsaw through the air before aiming it at a group of them facing him. “Which one of you little shits are next, huh?”  
   
 More monsters leaped up; they began circling him. Their forms were dark grey and scaly. These ones looked reptilian, with six legs and a long snout. Their long tails, Oikawa realised, were for counterbalancing. He found it amusing when their tails whipped wildly midair. They were long, though. Big and fast was never a pleasant combination. The Dark, they were called. Oikawa always thought it was a simple name, but as long as they stayed dead when they were shot… he was okay with simple.  
   
 He heard a snap.  
   
 Oikawa spun.  
   
 One attacked from behind.  
   
 His chainsaw curved through the air, slicing through its neck as if it was air. Oikawa used the spin to aim his rifle, firing three times—each shot took out another beast.  
   
 They began to roar and their bodies moved quickly, leaping from side to side, covering large amount of ground on the skyscraper’s roof. They lunged, one after another, and Oikawa spun, slicing and firing, slicing and firing. He kicked off the ground, backflipped into the air, and rained down bullets.  
   
 They screamed as they were killed.  
   
 Oikawa landed and took a deep breath. “I actually broke a sweat.”  
   
 Another charged at him.  
   
 Oikawa readied his weapon, but paused.  
   
 He felt something, someone.  
   
 A blur of black whipped between them, shattering the monster in one strike.  
   
 The man in front of him had his back turned, but Oikawa saw the edges of the vertical mask that hid his identity. He caught sight of armor, obsidian black, and twin blades in his hands.  
   
 Oikawa turned away, summoning his mask. It was a rod of stone, with etchings of ancient runes. He held it infront of his face and it stayed there, midair. Within a second wind burst from the sides, blocking his identity. It took his eyes a second to adjust, but soon he could see through the one-way visor.  
   
 When the other man killed the remaining lizards, he stood still for a moment. He turned to Oikawa and stared. “You alright?”  
   
 Oikawa raised his rifle and aimed at him. “Just fine.”  
   
 “Is that how you thank someone?”  
   
 “This is Skirt’s territory.”  
   
 The man tightened his grip on his blades. “Skirt?”  
   
 “That’s me.” Oikawa gave his hips a little shake to make his skirt move. “My territory, my rules.”  
   
 “Oh.” The man cocked his head to the side. “Fine by me.”  
   
 “Huh?”  
   
 “I don’t care about Sectors or Sectin.” He dismissed his left blade and it dissolved into black mist. He used that hand to rub his neck. “I just like beating these things up.”  
   
 Oikawa lowered his gun, just a little. “Beating them up?”  
   
 “It’s exercise, stress relief.” He shrugged. “Plus, it’s good for the people here to take care of them.”  
   
 “Well.” Oikawa’s eyes narrowed. “You weren’t half bad.”  
   
 “Not bad yourself.”  
   
 “Well, this is my Sector.” He leaped back onto the railing of the skyscraper, wind rustling his clothes. “My rules.”  
   
 “I thought this was an unbound area?”  
   
 “It will be mine.” Oikawa swallowed hard. “I will have it. I’ve been working on it for years.”  
   
 “Like I said, kid.” The man scoffed. “I don’t care. I live here now, so I’m going to be doing rounds. That’s not a problem, is it?”  
   
 “You live here now?”  
   
 “My job. I transferred here. You want the Sector, fine. It’ll take a while to get this place cleaned up enough for the Sectins to consider you. I’ll be out of here by then. Not staying long.”  
   
 Oikawa grit his teeth. He realised he was dealing with an adult, which was probably why this guy was more mature. He couldn’t help but feel a little… shadowed. “Fine. But I have a few rules. One, don’t attack anyone else you see. Besides me, there’s one other guy who does rounds. Two, stay away from the temple.” He pointed his gun to the Buddhist temple atop a large hill in the middle of town. “The temple maids are just doing their job. Worst case, they can purify you, so don’t hassle them.”  
   
 “Anything else?”  
   
 “No.” He rested his chainsaw on his shoulder and pointed his gun forward. “But if you’re trying to take this Sector from under my feet…”  
   
 “I’m not that dumb. I told you; I don’t care. The Sectins are nothing but tyrants. There’s nothing with them, no order. They’re only used as a system because there is no alternative.”  
   
 “Hm.” Oikawa bit his lip. He wasn’t doing too good, was he? “Well, the farther from the temple, the worse it gets. If you want to do night watch, outskirts of the city are best.”  
   
 “Got it.” He looked at Oikawa for a while. “I’m leaving.” When he got no protest he jumped over the railing and flew to the ground below.  
   
 Oikawa watched before his stomach squeezed. “Better find Hinata…” He kicked off as well and focused his energy into his back. With a burst of light—two brilliant butterfly wings appeared. He spread them and glided down to the city below. He scouted the city, searching several blocks until he found the person he was looking for.  
   
 Hinata had just slashed through a lizard, red streaks of fire following his nails. When photon fired down, he looked up.  
   
 Oikawa landed and his wings dissolved.  
   
 “Awww, I had those ones, Oikawa-senpai!”  
   
 “Mask. On. Now.”  
   
 “Huh?”  
   
 “Put your mask on.”  
   
 Hinata grumbled before summoning his. Unlike Oikawa and the man, his was horizontal. He equipped it and the burst of wind blurred him for a bit. “I hate these things…”  
   
 “Just do it.”  
   
 “It’s on! What’s up?”  
   
 “There’s…” Oikawa chewed on his lower lip. “There’s a new guy.”  
   
 “A new guy? Is he a bad guy?”  
   
 “I don’t think so… but I’m not taking chances.” He patted the tuft of orange hair. “Just keep an eye open, okay?”  
   
 Hinata nodded.  
   
 “It’s late, come on.” Oikawa smiled. “We should go home.”  
   
 “Sorry, I just got all…” Hinata made wild flailing hand movements. “Excited!”  
   
 “School’s starting tomorrow.”  
   
 “That’s why! I couldn’t sleep, Senpai!”  
   
 Oikawa laughed. “Come on. I’ll walk you home.”  
   
 Hinata grinned.  
   
 The two of them were quick through the city streets, and soon enough they said their goodbyes. Oikawa dropped from the rooftops and the light dissolved around him. He returned to his everyday clothes and began walking through the empty streets. It was three in the morning, and he was hungry; so, naturally, he began walking to his favourite soba place. It was open twenty-four hours a day.  
   
 As he walked, though, he overheard two people arguing.  
   
 “I’m old enough to stay out late if I want.”  
   
 Oikawa didn’t really care until he turned the corner.  
   
 “No you’re not,” said the father. “And it’s the first day of school tomorrow. You really want to show up tired? I thought you were seventeen. Use your head.”  
   
 “Just leave me alone, damnit.”  
   
 Oikawa glanced over, thinking it really wasn’t helping the teenager’s case to be talking to his parent that way, but when he did… he paused. “Iwa-chan?” it was barely a whisper, too low to be heard by the two people arguing.  
   
 “You’ll make friends,” his father said, “You always do.”  
   
 “Yeah, whatever.” Iwaizumi huffed. “This is the last time, anyway. I’m finally graduating after this… Have you seen the uniforms? Blue and white? It’s dumb.”  
   
 “I bet the girls will look nice in it, though!”  
   
 Iwaizumi frowned. “I don’t even like girls.”  
   
 His dad sighed. “The boys? I bet they’ll look good in it too—”  
   
 “Shut up.” Iwaizumi pinched the bridge of his nose. “Just, stop talking.”  
   
 Oikawa snuck into a side street and peered around the corner. He listened for a little longer but the guilt began to seep through cracks. He wanted to switch to Skirt, so he could overhear from a better vantage point, but… Oikawa backed away. It was a personal conversation, a private one. Oikawa Tooru may be a little bit of an imp, but he knew when there was something he shouldn’t be overhearing.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Oikawa opened his eyes. His neck hurt. He yawned and sat up, rubbing his neck. “Mmm.”  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled. “Morning, Mister Flawless.”  
   
 Oikawa rubbed his face and looked around the empty clubroom. “Huh?”  
   
 “You fell asleep.” Iwaizumi took in the sight of Oikawa’s sleepy face and his heart beat warmed. “Everyone else is gone.”  
   
 “But… you stayed.” Oikawa smiled.  
   
 “I… Yeah. I was, going to ask you if you wanted to have soba with me or something… It’s still your favourite thing at the end of the day, right?”  
   
 “Hells to the yes.” Oikawa yawned and turned in his chair to face Iwaizumi more. He smiled wide and closed his eyes for just a moment.  
   
 Iwaizumi reached a hand forward, touching Oikawa’s cheek with the back of his hand. “You look tired.”  
   
 “Mmmm. Yeah… It’s hard to, like, you know… adjust to school hours.”  
   
 “Yeah, I know what you mean. Everyone’s a little dead inside.”  
   
 “Mmm, yeah.” Oikawa leaned into the touch. Iwaizumi’s hands weren’t particularly soft, but the touch itself was soft, gentle… Oikawa, still somewhat half asleep, was pretty sure he wasn’t dreaming that he was being caressed. It was funny how little touches could mean so much… Still, Oikawa wasn’t one to get his hopes up. He opened his eyes. “Iwa-chan, I missed you.”  
   
 “I know.” Iwaizumi pulled away and sighed. “I’m sorry, I…”  
   
 “It’s okay.”  
   
 Iwaizumi was about to say something else, but the door opened; sunset light from the hallway poured into the clubroom, warm colours painting the walls orange and red.  
   
 Ittetsu blinked. “Oh. You guys are still here?”  
   
 Oikawa leapt to his feet. “Yes!” He straightened his uniform. “Hello, Sensei, I was just going over the anime club’s vice presidential duties with Iwaizumi, who has been chosen by the club!”  
   
 Iwaizumi stood up. “Wait, what?”  
   
 Ittetsu had a knowing smile. “Really? You guys are such hard workers to get it all done on the first day of class.”  
   
 “Of course, Sensei! I want to get as much done now so club activities won’t bother us during exam period!”  
   
 “Oh? Is that why you stayed late?”  
   
 “Of course!”  
   
 “To go over information with Iwaizumi-san?”  
   
 “Mhm!”  
   
 “Is that also why you were sleeping when I came to check up on you ten minutes ago?”  
   
 “Ack!” Oikawa jumped back, right into Iwaizumi (who caught him). “Busted!”  
   
 Iwaizumi smirked.  
   
 Oikawa turned around and smacked his arm. “Why didn’t you say something?”  
   
 “You dug your own grave, Tooru. Lay in it.”  
   
 “Iwa-chan!” Oikawa frowned. “That’s no way to treat the cutest boy in school.”  
   
 “Maybe,” Ittetsu reminded them he was there, “That is the best way to treat the self-proclaimed cutest boy in school. Oikawa-san, do you remember the proverb we studied last year, ‘Dumplings over flowers’?”  
   
 “Geh!” Oikawa grabbed his stomach and craned over, as if he had just been stabbed.  
   
 Iwaizumi blinked. “Huh?”  
   
 Ittetsu smiled. “It means utility over beauty.”  
   
 Iwaizumi snorted.  
   
 Oikawa glared at him. “Shut up, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 Ittetsu covered his mouth to hide his chuckle. “Don’t forget to lock up, okay?”  
   
 Oikawa huffed. “Okaay.”  
   
 Ittetsu waved them off before leaving.  
   
 “Bye!”  
   
 “Bye, Sensei.” Iwaizumi gave a small bow.  
   
 Oikawa pouted. “How long was I sleeping?”  
   
 “Um…? An hour? Maybe two.”  
   
 “Oh geez.” He grabbed his phone and checked the time. “We should get going.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 The school had three floors but the second floor had an outdoor patio-thing that had stairs going down. On nice days, most students crowded around there and talked. Now, it was empty. They walked silently on the patio, but Oikawa skipped ahead and ran to the edge. He turned around and hopped on the railing. Iwaizumi walked over until the distance between them was far too small for just friends.  
   
 “Um.” Iwaizumi looked away. “Hey… I’m… sorry.”  
   
 “For what?” Oikawa blinked. “Letting me sleep? I probably needed it.”  
   
 “No, I mean… for not…” He took a breath. “For not coming back.”  
   
 Oikawa laughed, which clearly confused the shit out of Iwaizumi, but he didn’t care. “It’s okay.”  
   
 “No, it isn’t… I never got to explain why.”  
   
 “Your dad got a job in Miyagi.” Oikawa tapped his forehead. “So you moved there.”  
   
 Iwaizumi stared, silent. Their uniforms, white and blue, were tinted warm red and orange by the sunset.  
   
 “Well, the first time I didn’t see you I got scared but I figured it was only one year. When you didn’t come for a second year… well, I totally thought you were dead so I searched your name. I found out your dad—who looks a lot like you in the pictures, by the way—was some business hot shot so he got a job in southern Japan. So I figured you went with him. I don’t blame you, Iwa-chan. I’m not mad.”  
   
 Iwaizumi stayed silent for moments more before he let out a sigh… a sigh of relief. “I missed you.”  
   
 “I missed you too, Hajime.”  
   
 Iwaizumi swallowed hard, cheeks flared. He forgot how much he loved it when Oikawa said his first name.  
   
 “But don’t worry anymore! You’re here now. It’s practically fate!”  
   
 “No such thing as fate,” Iwaizumi muttered.  
   
 “Of course not,” Oikawa agreed, “No God or Goddess out there could let someone as flawless as moi – that’s German for ‘me’ by the way – keep crying!”  
   
 Iwaizumi froze. “You cried?”  
   
 Oikawa’s smile faded and he felt a chill run down his neck. “Didn’t you?”  
   
 “Yeah.” Another moment passed by, and Iwaizumi felt his stomach squeeze. “Um… you seem to have a lot of friends here.”  
   
 Oikawa nodded, little smile on his lips again. “I took your advice.”  
   
 “I noticed. You seem different.”  
   
 “But… a good, a good different, right?”  
   
 Iwaizumi couldn’t help but smile. As different and as outgoing as the new Oikawa seemed, there still was the shy scared little thing that he had met years ago. It was the same Oikawa. It was still his Oikawa. He moved Oikawa’s hair out of his eyes and nodded. “Yeah.”  
   
 Oikawa felt a tension leave his shoulders and he smiled. “Iwa-chan’s pretty cute too, you know?”  
   
 “Stop calling me that.”  
   
 “Iwa-chan.”  
   
 Iwaizumi made the mistake of glancing at Oikawa’s perfectly kissable lips and his response disappeared. His mind went blank. He forced his eyes back up to Oikawa’s warm brown ones and he took a silent breath in. “I…” What should he say? ‘Love you’?—no, that was too soon. ‘Missed you’—again? ‘Care about you’—no. “You mean a lot to me. You…” ‘Were my first love?’—Lame. Horribly lame. He couldn’t do it.  
   
 Oikawa stared, waiting for the rest of the sentence. When nothing came, “Huh?”  
   
 “Nothing. Want to get food? Know any good places?”  
   
 “Yep!” Oikawa hopped off the railing. “But Iwa-chan has to pay.”  
   
 “Why?”  
   
 “Because it’s proper date procedures.”  
   
 “Fine.”  
   
 Oikawa blinked. “Oh. I didn’t expect that to work.”  
   
 Iwaizumi scoffed. “Sorry?”  
   
 “You weren’t supposed to say yes so easily.” Oikawa took a full second to analyse him before nodding. “You must be desperate.”  
   
 Iwaizumi smacked the back of his head.  
   
 “Ouch! Iwa-chan!”  
   
 “You deserved it!”  
   
 “Of course I did!” Oikawa laughed. He whined. “At least kiss it better. Oh wait, should I crouch down? I’m taller than you now!” He laughed victoriously and began skipping down the stairs. When he tripped, Iwaizumi didn’t even bother to see if he was okay, just kept on walking.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 The soba noodle place was as traditional as it could get. They sat at the bar because the chef was excited to see Oikawa again, despite the fact that dates happened at tables. When they ordered their food, Iwaizumi turned to him and frowned. “You were kidding about the whole, being vice president of the anime club… right?”  
   
 “Of course not.”  
   
 “What?”  
   
 “Please?” Oikawa grabbed his arm. Then paused. “Oh wow, nice arms.”  
   
 Iwaizumi tugged his arms away. “No.”  
   
 “Please!” Oikawa pouted. “I already begged Koushi but he said no, and Kiyoko-chan’s too busy with other commitments… and I don’t want to ask a second year. They’re going to make us watch Boku no Pico—again. Do you want to watch Boku no Pico?” Oikawa yanked himself away and gasped. “You like shota, don’t you Iwa-chan?”  
   
 “No!”  
   
 “You do! You totally watched Black Butler when we met—you liked Ciel too much! Sebas-chan was all over him! That’s why you won’t be my vice president—so you can spread the evil shota!”  
   
 “No! Shut up! That doesn’t even make sense!” Iwaizumi scowled. “I have zero interest in that stuff!”  
   
 “So, then!” Oikawa grabbed his arms again, wiggling his thumbs to feel the niceness of the arms while he begged. “You’ll be my vice president? Please?”  
   
 Iwaizumi was about to refuse but Oikawa geared his pout into overdrive. Iwaizumi’s walls crumbled. He scowled and looked away. “I… Will it… make you… happy?”  
   
 “Of course! More than just happy, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 Iwaizumi sighed. “Fine.”  
   
 Oikawa leaned over and kissed his cheek.  
   
 For the rest of the meal, Iwaizumi pretty much hid his red face in his bowl.  
   
 After they ate, and paid (they each paid for their own despite Iwaizumi trying to pay for both), they left and began walking. Oikawa was walking down a quiet street, following Iwaizumi’s direction of where his new home was. After a while, Oikawa turned and began walking backwards. “You know if you want to stare at my awesome body you could be a little more discreet.”  
   
 “S-Sorry.” Iwaizumi frowned. “I wasn’t… I just, I guess…” He huffed. “My dad was… right.”  
   
 “Hm?”  
   
 “Boys… look really cute, in that uniform.”  
   
 Oikawa grinned. “Well.” He stopped walking just in time for Iwaizumi to bump into him. He wrapped his arms around Iwaizumi’s hips and smiled. “I’m not the only one who looks cute in this uniform. White and blue suits you.”  
   
 “Yeah?” Iwaizumi’s cheeks were probably cooked beyond repair from how much they burned. “Well… But, you look cuter.”  
   
 “Of course I do.” Oikawa broke away, shaking his hips a little teasingly, and continued walking.  
   
 Within a few minutes they were at Iwaizumi’s place. It was a small townhouse, one floor. A cozy affordable little thing. Iwaizumi looked over. “Do you want to come in?”  
   
 “Sure.” After Iwaizumi opened the door and they stepped in, Oikawa looked around the front entrance. “Kind of… dreary. No paintings, or décor or anything?”  
   
 “Well, we just got here.” Iwaizumi’s eyes darted down and he frowned. “Um…”  
   
 Oikawa followed the gaze to the shoes left in the middle of the entrance.  
   
 “I know I just invited you in… but, I think my dad’s home so…”  
   
 Oikawa put a finger to his lips. “Say no more.” He pulled his finger back and gave a little salute with two fingers. “I got it.”  
   
 “Yeah?” Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow.  
   
 “Tough family situations are hardly… foreign to me.” Oikawa forced a smile. “Getting friends in the mix is… weird.”  
   
 “Yeah… it is. It really is.”  
   
 “You can talk to me about it, though. If you want. Later.”  
   
 “Thanks…” Iwaizumi breathed a little sigh of relief. He took another second to stare Oikawa up and down, one more time. “You… It’s weird, seeing you.”  
   
 “Huh?”  
   
 “You just look so…” Iwaizumi stared. “Good.”  
   
 Oikawa raised both his arms to show off his ‘guns’. He did his best to look super manly, but it wasn’t nearly as impressive standing next to Iwaizumi. “Started hormone replacement therapy. I’m all buff and gruff.”  
   
 “Huh?” Iwaizumi blinked. “Oh, yeah, okay pretty boy…” He chuckled. “But, that’s not what I meant, though. You… You’re smiling a lot more. I like that.”  
   
 Oikawa blinked, deer in the headlights, and a warm red streaked from one cheek to the other. Soon enough, a little smile appeared. And that little smile turned into a grin, and the grin turned into a big grin. He put his arms down and nudged Iwaizumi’s shoulder with his own. “Shut up. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He opened the door and hopped out. He turned around. “I’ll bring lunch again, okay?”  
   
 “Sure.”  
   
 Oikawa left, skipping down the streets, barely able to contain the warmth his heart beat was spreading throughout his body. He stopped to look up, watching the sunset-painted sky, and he swore it wasn’t rose-coloured lenses. “It’s gonna be a gorgeous year.”  
   
 A good, peaceful year.  
   
 He couldn’t have been more wrong.


	2. Scarf

 It was his second day of class that Iwaizumi Hajime learned Sugawara Koushi was, more or less, completely capable of murder—as long as Oikawa was involved  
   
 Oikawa liked to think of himself as the pepper in salt and pepper. He gave everything a little extra kick. Sometimes it was spicy, other times tame; and, while not very often, there were even instances of sweetness. Peppers were awesome. Oikawa was awesome.  
   
 So Oikawa was kind of a pepper.  
   
 Oikawa woke that morning thinking about his Iwa-chan, which started a little thrill on his lips and shoulders and raced down to between his legs. He threw off the bed covers, tossed his clothes, and took a long, hot shower—belting the lyrics of some popular song in loud, exaggerated, and horribly broken English.  
   
 When he got out, he grabbed a towel and dried himself off. He grabbed his phone and checked what today’s weather would be, 14 Celsius. It was the start of spring, after all, not quite double layers of winter, but not quite one layer of summer. He wondered what he should do, then just decided to go with his uniform and blazer today, nothing special. He shoved a piece of toast in his mouth, and grabbed his stuff.  
   
 Even with his loud, obnoxious singing and upbeat attitude… He felt something nervous and cold floating around his stomach. In his shoes, his toes squeezed together. He put his hand on the door handle and waited, still, for a moment. He noticed the way the metal felt chilled on his palm and he had to mentally count to five.  
   
 Leaving his house, he locked the door behind him and walked right to the door across the hall. He didn’t knock or check if it was locked before he opened. “Good morning!”  
   
 A woman with the same white-grey-silver hair as his best friend looked up from a frying pan. “Good morning, Tooru!” She smiled. “Would you like some breakfast?”  
   
 “I’ve already had,” he said with a polite, practiced bow.  
   
 She laughed. “I’ll make you some anyway. He’s still in his room.”  
   
 “Okay, thank you!”  
   
 Oikawa left her in the kitchen and snuck into the bedroom in question, making sure his every step was quiet on the soft carpet. He saw his target, back to him, naked, drying his hair with a towel. It was then that Oikawa lunged forward and pinched his butt.  
   
 Sugawara yelped, twisting his body and covering his sensitive bits with his baby blue towel. “Tooru, I swear to God! Fuck,” he whispered. “You scared me.”  
   
 Oikawa just gave a teasing smile and walked to Suga’s bed, where his clothes for the day were neatly laid out. He grabbed the pair of black boxers with green stripes and waved it around. “Cute.” He tossed it.  
   
 Suga caught it with a frown, but his frown was slowly melting away. “Scare me like that again and I’ll rip your eyes out.”  
   
 “You’re all bark and no bite, Kou-chan.” Oikawa then tossed him his shirt, shamelessly watching him dress. Sugawara was one of the sweetest, kindest, nicest people in the entire world. The only exception was when he was around his best friend. Oikawa loved that. “I want to borrow a scarf.”  
   
 “Sure, but I want the blue one today. So anything that’s not that.”  
   
 “Good.” Oikawa tossed him his pants and then walked to his dresser. Being best friends and neighbours, they shared clothes – or whatever clothes they could share, with the differences in their body height and sizes. He grabbed a long pink scarf and looped it around his neck twice. It worked with the white and blue uniform and he looked at himself in the mirror, tweaking his hair so it would be just right for his Mr. Right.  
   
 “Trying to match all the cherry blossoms?”  
   
 “Mhm. It is April, and they’re all in bloom. You have to seize the moment, Kou-chan.”  
   
 “Right.” Suga rolled his eyes, little smile forming on his lips. “If you say so.” Now, fully dressed, he ran his hand through his slightly damp hair. “Ready to go?”  
   
 “Yep. Your mom’s making us breakfast, by the way, and—oh, you’re getting temporarily demoted.”  
   
 “Huh?”  
   
 “You’re going from ‘best friend’ to ‘good friend’.”  
   
 Suga raised his eyebrows, but he wasn’t bothered. Under his belt were heavy years of practice dealing with Oikawa’s antics and shenanigans. “Is that so?”  
   
 “Yep! Because Iwa-chan’s going to get promoted to ‘best friend’ until he ranks up and gets promoted to ‘boyfriend’. Then you’re going to be best friend again, Koushi. Don’t worry I’ve got this whole thing planned out!” He threw his arms to the side in grand, majestic movement.  
   
 “If you say so.” Suga walked over and kissed his cheek. When Oikawa smiled and went to return the cheek kiss, Suga turned his head at the last moment and stole a real kiss, leaving them both to giggle. “Okay, come on. We’re going to be late.”  
   
 “Oh, and I have to stop at the store.” Oikawa led them out of Suga’s room, where his mother had laid two plates out for them. A simple egg omelette with fried rice inside. They took their seats and Oikawa caught Suga’s questioning gaze. “Well I need to buy a bento box for Iwa-chan and I.”  
   
 “You’re getting him lunch again?”  
   
 “Well I said I would.”  
   
 “So… why are you buying it at a store? Wouldn’t making a bento be more, romantic?”  
   
 “Oh Kou-chan.” Oikawa’s face hardened. “I have a plan. Because I am going to say I forgot so I had to buy one…” The edges of his lips curved into a sexy, dangerous smile. “And then he will think I’m so clumsy… which will equate into being cute.” Now smirking his evil smirk, Oikawa puffed up his chest. “I am a genius.”  
   
 Suga shoved egg into his mouth and made a noncommittal grunt in reply.  
   
 “Koushi! You have to recognise how diabolical I am!”  
   
 “You’re weird.”  
   
 “I’m tactical!”  
   
 “Sure.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 On the train ride to school, they sat side by side, as usual. Their arms overlapped, neither of them minding the brush of skin on skin, the innocent warmth of another human being. _“In another universe,”_ Suga told him once, _“We would be a perfect couple.”_ They had tried dating, once. They tried, really, but no matter how hard they tried there just wasn’t… romance. There was no rush of heat, there was no bloom, no thrill, no flowers, no fire—not in that way. Their love for each other was orange—hot, but tempered. Deep, but not romantic.  
   
 They just decided that they were better as best friends.  
   
  _“Boys come and go, Kou-chan. But we’ll always be together.”_  
   
 That, of course, didn’t mean there wasn’t exploration. They had many nights filled with nervous kissing, trying it, tasting it, until the nervousness died away and gave way to being bold, which gave way to being even bolder.  
   
 But, as they had decided, they were better as friends. No. Not friends. Since Oikawa usually lived alone, and Sugawara’s parents practically treated Oikawa like their own son, they were like brothers. Brothers, who… made out a lot, which was weird; but, hey, no one was complaining. They made out, tried new things, cuddled the shit out of each other, and ate massive buckets of ice cream while they cried their hearts out over boys.  
   
 It was perfect.  
   
 As Suga closed his eyes and rested his head on Oikawa’s shoulder, Oikawa couldn’t help but nuzzle the tuft of grey hair.  
   
 There were a lot of rumours about Oikawa, one being that he was selfish. But if Oikawa was given one wish, he would wish for Suga to be happy, for as long as the wish had strength for.  
   
 When the train got to their stop, Oikawa nudged Suga awake and they walked out. They walked to the store and Oikawa bought a bento, while Suga decided he might as well buy a drink.  
   
 When they were walking out, Oikawa turned and walked backwards. “So, when are you going to make your move?”  
   
 “Huh?” Suga asked as he tossed something at him.  
   
 The silver can gleamed in the sunlight before Oikawa caught it. It was a can of that weird cherry drink Suga liked. “You bought one for me?”  
   
 “Well you were just going to drink half of mine anyway.”  
   
 “Kou-chan.” Oikawa leaned over and kissed his cheek, although his lips landed rather dangerously close to Suga’s own lips.  
   
 “Oi.” Suga smiled. “Don’t you have a boyfriend now?”  
   
 “Not _yet_ ,” he whined. “And I’m not the only one!”  
   
 Suga opened the top of his drink and muttered something as his cheeks warmed pink.  
   
 “When are you going to make your moves on Daichi?”  
   
 “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  
   
 “Oh, come on! Just go for it.”  
   
 “No way!” Suga chugged half the can. “I don’t even know if he… you know, likes guys.”  
   
 “Well, the only way to find out is to flirt, right?”  
   
 “I’m sorry if I’m not dripping with overconfidence in my lack of charm like you are!”  
   
 “Koushi—first of all my charm is amazing, but—that’s half the reason you’re so cute.”  
   
 “Thanks.” Sugawara just stared. “Tooru.”  
   
 “You’re welcome! Just fake it until you make it!”  
   
 Sugawara didn’t reply.  
   
 “Come on, Koushi. It’s the last year of high school—we need to get some _dick._ ”  
   
 Sugawara took another heavy drink and enjoyed the innocent flavour of cherry. Like someone without their cherry popped. Now he was thinking of Daichi. Was Daichi a virgin? He imagined Daichi on top of him and—  
   
 “You’re bluuushing.”  
   
 “Shut up!” Suga hissed, as quietly as he could. “I’m n-not. Shush!”  
   
 “You are.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 They bantered the entire way to school, and the entire way up the stairs to their class on the third floor. When Oikawa stepped in, he made eye-contact with Iwaizumi, who looked like his breath was taken away. And, Oikawa, feigning his big massive bulk of confidence, pretended he didn’t feel the same way—like he needed the confirmation that yesterday had been real, not just another fantasy he’d dreamed, another fake meeting with Iwaizumi again.  
   
 Oikawa walked over and took his seat by the window, forcing himself to look away from Iwaizumi’s gorgeous face to take out his books. “Morning, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 Iwaizumi, unable to hide much of his smile, muttered an uninterested “Morning, Oikawa-san,” back at him.  
   
 “Bleh.” Oikawa stuck his tongue out. “Don’t use honourifics with me.”  
   
 “Then you stop with me.”  
   
 “Iwa-chan is a nickname—it’s different.”  
   
 Iwaizumi snorted.  
   
 Two desks over, Daichi looked up with a smile. “Good morning, Sugawara-san.”  
   
 Sugawara ducked his head to hide his smile. “Good morning, Daichi.”  
   
 Oikawa reached over, grabbing Iwaizumi’s chair, and pulling him closer. “That’s Sawamura Daichi. He insists everyone just calls him by his first name, no honourific.”  
   
 “Yeah?”  
   
 “And Koushi-chan has a biiig crush on him.”  
   
 Iwaizumi paused, looking right at Oikawa. “Is that the same Koushi you stole five hundred yen from so he’d help you cook?”  
   
 “Uhuh, but you weren’t supposed to remember that. Anyway, it’s up to us to help them get together. We’re agents of love, Hajime.”  
   
 “I refuse.”  
   
 Oikawa pouted. “Hajime…”  
   
 Iwaizumi looked away, resting his head on his hands, ignoring how hot his cheeks were burning.  
   
 “Haaaajiiime.”  
   
 Iwaizumi dared a glance at Oikawa, and his eyes moved up to his hair. “You’ve got something in your hair?”  
   
 “Huh?”  
   
 “Here.” He leaned over and pulled out a cherry blossom petal. “Matches your scarf.”  
   
 “Ohh, that’s good luck, you know?”  
   
 “A dead leaf in your hair?”  
   
 “It’s a petal, thank you. And it’s very pretty. Like me.”  
   
 “Mhm.” Iwaizumi moved his hand closer, and… slowly… he moved some of Oikawa’s hair behind his ear. It was only then they both realised how close they were. Oikawa’s eyes widening, ever so slightly, and Iwaizumi feeling the loud thud of his heart.  
   
 Did Ittetsu know to make an extra loud entrance, or was it just luck? The two of them separated when the teacher came in the room, and class began.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 When the lunch bell rang, Oikawa popped out of his seat like an angry elf buried under winter’s snow. Or something. Oikawa didn’t know how fast they would pop out, but he was pretty sure elves wouldn’t like to be buried in snow. That stuff’s cool (haha that’s a pun) but too much of it wasn’t fun for anyone, especially not elves. Anyway, as he popped out of his seat. “Iwa-chan, lunch on the roof.”  
   
 Iwaizumi sighed. “Okay.”  
   
 “Koushi!” Oikawa called out. “We’re eating lunch on the roof.”  
   
 Sugawara looked up. “Okay.”  
   
 “But, hmm… then you’d be third wheeled, wouldn’t you?” Oikawa gave one of his rare, devious smiles. The kind of smile that made it look like Oikawa knew exactly when the world was going to end, and it was soon. “Daichi.”  
   
 Daichi, overhearing the conversation that happened with him in the middle, looked up knowingly. Still, he gave an innocent, “Yes?”  
   
 “Tooru…” urged Suga in a dangerous whisper.  
   
 “Suga’s going to be third wheeled if we eat lunch on the roof, so want to join us?”  
   
 Daichi gave a small, knowing smile. “I would love to.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 When they finally got up top, Oikawa didn’t leave any room for doubt. “Wow, it’s like a double date!”  
   
 Daichi unpacked his lunch, not reacting to the comment. Iwaizumi just sat there, expressionless.  
   
 Sugawara, on the other hand, felt his cheeks burn. “Tooru!”  
   
 “So.” Iwaizumi picked up the bento box that Oikawa had laid in front of him. “You bought these?”  
   
 “I did!” Oikawa put his hands together and did a little bow. “I’m sorry, I forgot last night. Wow, I’m so clumsy!”  
   
 Suga opened his mouth, barely starting his sentence with “He bought them on—” before Oikawa managed to shut him up.  
   
 Iwaizumi stared. “So, let me guess… you knew in advance that you would buy them, so you could call yourself clumsy?”  
   
 “No, of course not!”  
   
 Sugawara pouted. “Yes he did!”  
   
 “Shut up!”  
   
 Iwaizumi stared at the boxes, then looked at Oikawa. “Why would you want to call yourself clumsy?”  
   
 “Because it equates to being cute, duh!”  
   
 “Uhuh.” Iwaizumi nodded. “Okay.”  
   
 With the exception of Oikawa, they all started eating. Oikawa screamed a loud, “Geh!?”  
   
 Suga smiled. “You’re not used to things not going your way?”  
   
 “Shut up, Koushi!”  
   
 Daichi swallowed and put his chopsticks down. He looked over to Iwaizumi. “You seem fairly decent at… handling, Oikawa-san… no disrespect.”  
   
 Oikawa pouted.  
   
 Iwaizumi shrugged. “We know each other.”  
   
 “Yep! Iwa-chan was my first kiss.”  
   
 Iwaizumi shrugged again. “Mhm.”  
   
 “Aww.” Sugawara smiled. That was news to him. “Lucky you.”  
   
 “Yeah, I guess.” Iwaizumi shrugged, yet again. “That’s one way to put it.”  
   
 “Iwa-chan. What’s that supposed to mean?”  
   
 Daichi and Suga snickered. When Oikawa glared, they both looked away.  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled. “Nothing, I’m kidding.”  
   
 “Good!”  
   
 “But you know…” Iwaizumi pointed his chopsticks at his rice. “Considering how careful you are when it comes to…” He made some indescribable hand motion. “And just like, how you plan things in advance if they matter to you… the thought of you ‘forgetting’ to make me lunch last night doesn’t really hold up. I can see right through you.”  
   
 Oikawa, mouth open, was left dumbfounded. Sure, he didn’t exactly have the mountain of ex-boyfriends he pretended to have, but even then—none of them really caught on to his super diabolical plans. This was, however, one of the few times where ‘saved by the bell’ was literal. The lunch bell rang and Oikawa turned to Daichi. “Thanks for this double date, Daichi!”  
   
 Daichi smiled. “You’re welcome.”  
   
 “You know, Daichi.” Oikawa nudged Suga. “Koushi-chan—”  
   
 It was his second day of class that Iwaizumi Hajime learned Sugawara Koushi was, more or less, completely capable of murder—as long as Oikawa was involved.  
   
 Not wanting to know what was at the end of that sentence, and not wanting to take the risk, Sugawara Koushi lunged at him in a brilliant, fluid, flying tackle of desperation. There was screaming as the two of them rolled along the roof, Suga stabbing with his chopsticks, threatening to gouge out his eyes, while Oikawa cried that his eyes were too pretty to be gouged out—“At least remove them carefully!”  
   
 Iwaizumi turned to Daichi. “We should head back.”  
   
 “Yeah.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 When classes finally ended for the day, Iwaizumi nudged Oikawa’s shoulder. “Are you doing anything today?”  
   
 “Hm?” Oikawa asked before the question registered. “Oh. Ah, sorry.” He winced, as if pricked with a little needle. “I promised my little kouhai I would help him take care of something.”  
   
 “That’s fine. I’ll talk to you tomorrow?”  
   
 “Yeah. Oh!” Oikawa pulled out his notebook and scribbled something. “Message me, okay?”  
   
 Iwaizumi glanced to the phone number and smiled. “Will do.” He wanted to end with kissing his cheek, or doing something—anything—but when his cheeks warmed and his hands started shaking from the mere thought of it, he knew his voice would fumble, so he just nodded and left.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
  _[Oikawa Tooru, 4:21pm] r you still mad at me?  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 4:21pm] *Angry train noises*  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 4:22pm] oh, come on! I’m the best friend you could ask 4.  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 4:22pm] *Angry train noises*  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 4:24pm] STOP TALKING TO ME IN TRAIN NOISES ALL THE TIME  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 4:25pm] *ANGRY TRAIN NOISES*  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 4:27pm] ok ok I’ll make your anime vote count as 3, just don’t tell k?  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 4:27pm] *Happy train noises*  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 4:28pm] I’m going to hit you omg…  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 4:31pm] Love you too.  <3_  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Though Hinata would have been indistinguishable with his white and blue uniform, merely looking like one of many, his bright orange hair always made him stand out. The pale light blue and white worked with his hair colour, though. He learned from a young age that his dumb hair always clashed with certain shades of blue (they were opposite colours, after all), but pale blue seemed to be okay, kind of. It was better than the deep blue of his middle school uniform—now _that_ clashed.  
   
 He was sipping melon soda when someone said, “I want some.”  
   
 Hinata looked up and stuck out his tongue.  
   
 Oikawa pouted. “I am your Senpai.”  
   
 “It’s carbonated.”  
   
 “Oh, yuck. Never mind!”  
   
 “Weirdo!” Hinata took another swig, feeling the bubbles (“happy bubbles” he called them, despite Oikawa’s protest) go down his throat.  
   
 “Oi, do you want me to make your vote count for zero?”  
   
 “Ack!” Hinata yelled and jumped up. “I mean, you’re super cool Oikawa-senpai!”  
   
 “Much better. Ready?”  
   
 “Mhm.” Hinata tugged on the plastic bag of drinks and chips, and other things.  
   
 “How thoughtful of you.”  
   
 “Well I think a lot!”  
   
 “Sure you do, Shou-chan.”  
   
 “I do!”  
   
 “Uhuh.”  
   
 “Meanie.”  
   
 Oikawa patted his tuft of orange hair. “I’m kidding, come on.” He took the plastic bag from Hinata and smiled. The two of them turned and began walking up the steps. Oikawa had tried many times to count how many steps they had to walk up. Every single time he tried he ended up giving up after somewhere in the fifties.  
   
 “They’re getting restless,” said Hinata, somewhat out of breath from the stairs.  
   
 “Hm?”  
   
 “The Dark, I mean.”  
   
 “Oh. Yeah.”  
   
 “Do you think it’s ‘cause of the new guy?”  
   
 “Maybe.” Oikawa looked up as he continued climbing the steps. “They’re drawn to a good fight, after all… and he can put up a good fight.”  
   
 “Oh yeah? Think he can beat me?” Hinata started punching the air in front of him. “I’ve been getting better.”  
   
 “I think he can probably wipe the floor with you.”  
   
 “Gwah!!” Hinata yelled and stopped his punches so he could droop the rest of the walk up. “He must be super good, then.”  
   
 “Well, you’ve got a long way to go.”  
   
 Hinata gave a defeated whine.  
   
 Oikawa patted his hair. “You are getting a lot better, though!”  
   
 When they got to the top, they were greeted with the sound of running water. It came from the dragon shaped fountain head. The floor was smooth white tiles. There was barely any colour, touches of gold here and there, and the fountain of water had a blue bottom, making the water appear blue as well. It was the Buddhist Temple that overlooked the city from high above.  
   
 The two of them walked to the main building and Oikawa rang the doorbell.  
   
 There were footsteps coming closer, before the door opened. Tsukishima Akiteru was older than his brother, in university, but his smile had a bit of childish charm to it. “Hey. I’ll get Kei.”  
   
 A new voice from further in the house asked, “What about me?” Footsteps signalled his arrival and when Tsukishima Kei stepped out, he was just putting on his glasses. He was shirtless, hair damp.  
   
 Hinata squeaked.  
   
 Oikawa smiled and waved his hand slowly. “We need to have a little meeting.”  
   
 Akiteru smiled. “Come in.”  
   
 His younger brother, Tsukishima, just frowned. “Why are you letting them in?”  
   
 “Kei, don’t complain.”  
   
 Tsuki had been holding a blue shirt in his hand and he tugged it over himself. “Let’s have the meeting outside.” He walked out, past Oikawa and Hinata, to where the dragonhead flowed the waters. It was a purifying fountain and Tsuki customarily dipped his fingers in it and rubbed a few drops over his arms.  
   
 Hinata took the bag from Oikawa and opened it. He offered drinks as the four of them moved to surround the fountain.  
   
 Oikawa rested on the edge of the fountain, looking down at the water.  
   
 Tsuki’s drink of choice was a can of some cold coffee drink, the extra bitter stuff, and he looked surprised when it was offered to him. Oikawa, though not looking directly at him, noticed the way his body shifted. Tsukishima muttered a thanks and opened the top. Akiteru got chocolate milk, while Hinata had another melon soda, and Oikawa ended up with his personal favourite—strawberry milk. Was there anything better?  
   
 “So.” Akiteru looked at him. “What’s up?”  
   
 “Well… someone new has entered the sector. I know you guys don’t usually wear your masks, but if you’re going out in form… then I highly suggest it.”  
   
 Tsukishima’s nose crinkled as he frowned. “What kind of… guy?”  
   
 “I don’t know yet. I’ll keep my eyes peeled, but if you guys come across any information—anything, really—it can help, so pass it forward. As far as I know, he looks like a typical European knight, medieval kind. You know? Armor and stuff. Uses swords. Really good with ‘em too, so… yeah. But, basically, the point I’m getting at here is that I need all of us to keep our heads and play it safe.”  
   
 Akiteru nodded. “We usually leave the Dark to you guys, anyway, but it’s good to know.”  
   
 Tsukishima cocked an eyebrow. “Interesting.”  
   
 Akiteru frowned. “Don’t do anything dumb, Kei.”  
   
 Tsuki shrugged. “Is that all?”  
   
 “Yep.” Oikawa nodded.  
   
 “You could have texted that much.”  
   
 “Well you never reply to my texts, Kei-chan!”  
   
 “They’re not usually worth my time.”  
   
 “Kei,” hissed Akiteru.  
   
 “It’s fine.” Oikawa waved his hand. “I’m going to head off, then. That’s a lot of stuff you bought, Shouyou.”  
   
 Hinata fumbled his hands together and mumbled something too quiet to hear. Looking up, he repeated it: “I-I was hoping T-Tsukishima could… help me study!”  
   
 “No.”  
   
 “I got all your fav’ drinks!” Hinata pulled out another can of the coffee drink, and then the green matcha one. “Come on, you get the highest scores in our grade, so…”  
   
 “It’s day two… we barely covered anything in class.”  
   
 “Are you kidding me? I’m already behind! Please, please, please!”  
   
 Tsukishima stared at him, then quickly looked away. “Fine.”  
   
 Oikawa glanced between them, rather suspiciously, and he smiled. “Well, I’m off!” He began hopping down the stairs, drink in hand. “Looks like my little apprentice is using some pretty good flirty tactics… Now, if I can only get Koushi to do the same…” He hopped a few more steps then smiled. “Then I just have to lock on Iwa-chan… and this will be the year of love!” He let out a loud, terrifying loud that was like a howl, straight from the depths of his belly.  
   
 Tsukishima yelled, “Shut! Up!”  
   
 Oikawa turned around and pouted. “Some people just can’t appreciate the finer things in life…”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Iwaizumi’s movement were sharp under moonlight, like a knife slicing through shadows. His body moved at his command, obeying his wishes, no matter how much flexibility his dance required. Another large beast, blueish black with eyes of perilous white lunged at him. He jumped back and swung his arms. Blades of black obsidian formed around him and fired—each one blasting as fast as lightning, and the crack of thunder that resounded followed after.  
   
 When little ones tried to attack in a pack, he used the same tactic: He fired his blades as projectiles, stabbing them all with sheer numbers.  
   
 When a larger one came close, too close for comfort, and snapped its jaws, Iwaizumi twisted his body, spinning to gain force and shattering it in one deep strike. He didn’t count how many he fought, but he fought all that would come to him. It didn’t matter. He sliced and slashed, swung his arm and twisted his blade.  
   
 His armor really was reminiscent of medieval knights, clad in black. With the exception of his mask, which was grey, and the handles of his swords, which were the very same grey, his gear was all a single colour. Or shade, really, since black wasn’t a colour, but a lack of colour. It wasn’t until he took down a relatively large one, one that had many thin limbs, like a massive spider, that he realised he was being watched. He turned and looked up.  
   
 Standing, there, on a lamppost was the one who called himself ‘Skirt’.  
   
 Iwaizumi glared. “Can I help you?”  
   
 “No, not at all.”  
   
 Iwaizumi frowned. “Then I’m done here.” His blades burst into black shimmers and he put his arms to the side. A pool of black liquid opened beneath him and he felt his feet sink through. He closed his eyes as it swallowed him, quickly, and he disappeared.  
   
 When he was submerged in the liquid, all sound was gone. He felt… still. It was oddly calming to be enveloped completely in shadows. Black and purple, sometimes flashes of red or blue, but it didn’t matter. He visualised the place he wanted next and focused hard on it. It really was like an ocean, but thicker, and darker, dwelling with God knows what… He found comfort in it; and, yet, he never wanted to stay long.  
   
 A crack in this realm of shadow appeared and his body drifted towards it.  
   
 When he opened his eyes, his armour was gone.  
   
 He was in his school uniform.  
   
 And he also happened to be halfway across the city.  
   
 Iwaizumi took a deep breath of night’s frosty air and closed his eyes to relax. The buzzing of his phone cut relaxation short. He pulled his phone out to see messages from his dad, all of which he ignored. He remembered there was someone he had promised to message, though. He pulled out the piece of paper he had pocketed earlier and sent him a message.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Oikawa was busying himself with blasting more monsters before he landed on another streetlight. He dismissed his chainsaw and rifle and pulled out his phone.  
   
  _[Unknown number, 11:57pm] Guess who?  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 11:59pm] my prince charming???  
   
 [Unknown number, 12:01am] I want to hit you.  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 12:02am] so I’ll take that as a yes then, Iwa-chan?  
   
 [Unknown number, 12:02am] Sure._  
   
 Oikawa added the contact to his phone.  
   
  _[Iwaizumi Hajime, 12:02am] Also, I’m bringing lunch for the both of us tomorrow.  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 12:05am] thats good  & all but when are you gonna send me nudes??  
   
 [Iwaizumi Hajime, 12:07am] I just went from ‘want to hit you’ to ‘going to hit you’.  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 12:07am] um??? Spank me instead?? wink wink  
   
 [Iwaizumi Hajime, 12:08am] I hate you.  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 12:10am] Not a nice thing to say to your fiancé.  
   
 [Iwaizumi Hajime, 12:13am] … you mean because you told everyone at camp you were going to marry me?  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 12:14am] You remember!?? <3  
   
 [Iwaizumi Hajime, 12:16am] You’re such a loser._  
   
 Oikawa’s ears perked up at the sound of a roar.  
   
  _[Oikawa Tooru, 12:18am] I’ll see you tomorrow, Iwa-chan. Goodnight! Sleep tight! Dream of me!  
   
 [Iwaizumi Hajime, 12:20am] Yeah yeah. Goodnight, Tooru.  <3_  
   
 Oikawa Tooru loved playing it cool, like nothing really mattered, but when he saw the message his only thought was, “He sent me a heart!” Smiling like a fucking idiot, giddy as a schoolgirl, Oikawa slipped his phone into his pocket and jumped off the lamppost—eviscerating a monster with a chainsaw while he daydreamed about his first love.


	3. Pocky

 Kenma was careful, very careful. He walked along phone lines, the long ones. High up, as high as some of the tallest buildings downtown. Big black stripes, with a dip in the centre. Like snakes, between buildings. He walked across the phone lines. Step by step. Careful step, by careful step. The sun had just begun to rise, its sharp rays were hot against his skin, but early spring still had the cold frosty air that was reminiscent of winter’s recent end. Warm as the sun was, Kenma puffed air and saw his breath as a white mist that dispersed quickly.  
   
 It didn’t matter how old people were, Kenma thought, people still loved seeing their own breath.  
   
 He had seen teenagers do the same thing, yesterday, and he couldn’t help but want to do so as well. It didn’t matter that he was easily twice their age. The sky was painted red with bits of blue from the sunrise; and, even as high up as he was, there were bits of pink cherry blossoms that the wind had swept up.  
   
 His hands were stretched out, for balance. Though he wore a suit, black, prim, and proper, with a blood red tie, Kenma didn’t mind acting as foolish as he was. He took another step, over the city below, and then another. There was silence, blissful silence. Even the sounds of cars and people below mostly died out, becoming faint murmurs as high as he was.  
   
 Silence, save for a roar.  
   
 He couldn’t see them, but he knew they were out there.  
   
 Dark, gargantuan figures, getting bigger, and bigger.  
   
 Kenma did eventually see one, and then he saw its opponent. Oikawa, Skirt, Tooru, all of those names being the same one—not that it mattered—fought them with ease.  
   
 Kenma, too far for Oikawa to hear, whispered to him, “They really are only going to get bigger, bigger, and bigger.” Just as Oikawa spun to kill one, Kenma snapped his finger. The sound was loud, ear-splitting. And, just before Oikawa turned to him, Kenma jumped, escaping all notice.  
   
 When he landed, it was far from his original place. He opened his eyes and glanced at the two people staring at him.  
   
 Akaashi, also wearing a suit, was leaning on the wall in an alley. “You let him see you.”  
   
 “It’s better that way,” Kenma murmured in his usual, disinterested tone. “He’ll know the Dark will be a problem.”  
   
 “Hmm.” Akaashi pondered the words and then tilted his head. “Maybe, if this were a story… this would be the part someone would say a storm is coming.”  
   
 “AKAASHI!” came the loud, booming voice of the third person.  
   
 Akaashi stared. The unspoken question heavy in the air.  
   
 Bokuto pouted and pointed up, to the few clouds they could see when they looked up at the alley, through the small opening between the buildings. “You just jinxed perfect weather.”  
   
 Akaashi graced him with one of his rare laughs. “A couple clouds don’t mean anything.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 There were blasts of thunder and heavy showers of rain. An announcement came on during first period, “We ask all students to stay inside the school for their lunch break.” And when the lunch bell rang, all students looked out the window to watch the rain pound against the windows, as if the little pellets of water were trying to break the glass.  
   
 Suga got up and looked over Iwaizumi to Oikawa. “Where are you guys going to eat lunch?”  
   
 “Hmm.” Oikawa, also looking out the window, had to force himself to peel his eyes away. “Here, maybe. Iwa-chan?”  
   
 Iwaizumi shrugged. “Fine by me.”  
   
 They put their desks together and brought out their lunches. But before they opened it up, light footsteps preceded the introduction of Shimizu Kiyoko, a quiet girl who adjusted her glasses slowly. “Iwaizumi-san. Could we talk?”  
   
 “Huh?” Oikawa faked a pout. “Trying to steal my man, Ki-chan?”  
   
 Kiyoko ignored him.  
   
 Iwaizumi got up. “Sure. It’s… Shimizu-san, right?”  
   
 Kiyoko nodded. “I’m the class rep’, so Sensei asked me to make sure you were adjusting fine. It’ll only be a small while.”  
   
 “Okay.” Iwaizumi looked back at Oikawa and Suga. “Be back in a sec.”  
   
 They moved to the hallway, Iwaizumi not sure why they had to leave the class, but when they got to the hallway they found it mostly empty. With the rain hitting the window, the occasional flash of lightning, Iwaizumi was pretty sure this was the ideal setting to be told his dog just died.  
   
 He didn’t even have a dog.  
   
 Kiyoko watched the rain for a moment, but then turned to him. “Sensei already told me, because of curriculum differences, you’ll have some trouble in math for the first few months. During second and third term it will be easier, since you’ve already done some of those things.”  
   
 “Yeah, that’s fine. I’ll probably manage on my own. I’m good at self-study.”  
   
 “Good.” Kiyoko adjusted her glasses again, then paused for a moment. Save for the rain, it was a silent moment. Kiyoko looked at him, truly looked at him. “I actually wanted to talk about something else… the Dark.”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s eyes widened. “What?” She didn’t reply right away, and he stared. “Are you…” It couldn’t be, could it? “Are you, Skirt?”  
   
 Kiyoko shook her head. “No. I am the Sectin Manager of the region… Or I will be, in the case that Skirt creates a proper Sector. There are rules, of course.”  
   
 Iwaizumi felt like he should say something smart, but all that came out was a “What?”  
   
 “I know I am younger than most, but I’ve been approved. My mother, before me, has fallen ill, meaning the duty has fallen on my shoulders. I will have advisors helping me, but this is a minimalist zone. As you know, the Sectin does not interfere with Dark nor Light, so long as there is no Sector.”  
   
 “I have no intentions of taking this Sector.”  
   
 “Understood.” Kiyoko nodded. “Sectors must be self-sufficient, without the aid of Sectins, before we can work with Light who take care of the Dark.”  
   
 “Yeah, I know that.”  
   
 “Which is why Skirt is pushing for his dominance.”  
   
 “Wait.” Iwaizumi frowned. “His? That’s a dude?”  
   
 “Yes.”  
   
 “Oh.” Iwaizumi had a feeling, but he wasn’t sure. He didn’t want to ask outright, so he said nothing. “Look, I… don’t give a shit about any of that.”  
   
 “I understand.” Kiyoko nodded deeply. “I just wanted to say, I am not a middle-man. Your identity is yours to hide or give away. If you want to deal with Skirt or his Sector, you have to do that directly. But for any other circumstance, you may approach me.”  
   
 “Got it.”  
   
 She bowed politely and left.  
   
 Iwaizumi returned the bow, even if it felt too old fashioned to do it to a fellow student, but whatever. He returned back into the class and saw Oikawa and Suga chatting away about something or another. “Sorry I’m late.”  
   
 “That’s fine, Iwa-chan! I want to see the lunch you bought me!”  
   
 “I didn’t buy it.” Iwaizumi opened their shared bento box to reveal two hamburger steaks, steamed jasmine rice, and several cut vegetables. “I made it myself.”  
   
 Oikawa grabbed a pair of chopsticks, broke off a piece of the hamburger steak, and brought it to his mouth. “Mmm!” he practically sang, closing his eyes and squeezing with glee. It was warm and moist, and packed with flavour. “Wow! You might be even better at cooking than Kou-chan!”  
   
 Suga laughed. “I’m not that good.”  
   
 “Yeah you are!”  
   
 “Just because anyone is better than you, which is everyone, that doesn’t make them good.”  
   
 “Shut uuuup.” He snagged a slice of cucumber and threw it in his mouth. “You’re just jealous.” He glanced to Iwaizumi. “What did Kiyoko want to talk to you about?”  
   
 “Curriculum differences in math class.”  
   
 “Hm, okay. Boring. I’m more entertaining. And prettier. Right?”  
   
 “Just eat.”  
   
 “Right?”  
   
 Suga smiled. “Just eat.”  
   
 Oikawa pouted. “Jerks.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 At their club meeting, Oikawa made everyone gather around Iwaizumi. “Okay, listen up, because this is really important. This is our new Vice President, and my superb romantic interest—so—back—the—fuck—off—and his name is Iwaizumi Hajime. Also known as Iwa-chan, as I said last time we met.”  
   
 “Don’t call me that.”  
   
 “Now.” Oikawa shoved him forward. “Go say hi.”  
   
 Iwaizumi stared at all of them. “Hi. He forced me into this. I’ll do my job as best as I can. If you think of ways to help me improve, please let me know. Thank you.” He bowed once.  
   
 “So!” Oikawa began, veering off into his speech for the day. When they went over the introductory stuff for the day, he glanced out the window and saw the storm worsening. They ended up watching some anime, Kiyoko hooking up her laptop to the projector, and they all got comfy.  
   
 Iwaizumi didn’t pay too much attention, since he’d already seen it. But, he was forced into a chair, and Oikawa forced himself into Iwaizumi’s lap. Iwaizumi wrapped his arms around Oikawa’s waist; and, as Oikawa leaned back against him, Iwaizumi couldn’t help but nuzzle the back of his head. He had to take another second… just to remember this wasn’t just one of his fantasies, that this was real.  
   
 That they were together. Again.  
   
 Oikawa was warm, Iwaizumi noted. His skin was soft, softer than any boy had the right to be—softer than any girl, or anyone at all for that matter, had the right to be. He smelled nice, too, like flowers. He was everything Iwaizumi remembered… but, more. In a way. He closed his eyes at one point, just holding Oikawa against him. Feeling them, together. Again.  
   
 Oikawa poked his nose.  
   
 Iwaizumi opened his eyes, startled, blinked twice, and then frowned.  
   
 Oikawa quietly giggled – _giggled_ , actually giggled – and then turned his attention back to the show.  
   
 Iwaizumi had a hard time fighting the smile that wanted so bad to be on his face.  
   
 After a while, the door opened slowly. Yamaguchi stepped in, somewhat warily, and gave a bow. “I hope we’re not interrupting.”  
   
 Oikawa bounced out of his seat and smiled. “Not at all! Yamaguchi-chan, right?”  
   
 Yamaguchi blinked and nodded. “Yes.” Bowing once.  
   
 “We just finished an episode,” Oikawa explained. “Shouyou, could you help me out here? Iwa-chan. You too.”  
   
 Iwaizumi muttered a complaint but got up anyway.  
   
 Oikawa made random hand gestures to the newcomers. “Make yourselves at home.” He looked at Yamaguchi, then to Tsukishima, and then tilted his head. “Where’s Tobio-chan? Kageyama's the third one of your little trou—”  
   
 “I’m here,” muttered Kageyama, with what looked like a permanent scowl on his face.  
   
 “Jesus!” Oikawa jumped away, eyeing Kageyama with what looked like the look of two people who had been wary of each other for a long time. “Say his name and he appears,” was a grumble he let out. “Tobio-chan, hi there.”  
   
 Kageyama just kept scowling at him.  
   
 Iwaizumi coughed. “What am I doing?”  
   
 Hinata turned around with a few plates and boxes of cookies. “Let’s just set out the treats.”  
   
 Iwaizumi blinked. “Wow. Okay.”  
   
 “The teachers wanted to shut down the anime club—because anime is bad for you, or something—and then last year Oikawa turned this place into like, a totally cultured place or something awesome? And we have cookies and tea and pretty plates and cups and stuff. It’s awesome.”  
   
 Oikawa coughed. “Also because the teachers had a certain suspicion some people were watching porn in here.”  
   
 “We only _talked_ about it!”  
   
 Oikawa smiled. “And we got some high quality tea from the tea ceremony club, and they were very happy to give us some!”  
   
 Tsukishima cocked an eyebrow. “You flirted to get it, didn’t you?”  
   
 “Just a little.”  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled. “Looks like a nice little club you built.”  
   
 “And you wanted to join sweating clubs, Iwa-chan. Gross.”  
   
 Kageyama’s scowl turned even fiercer. “We shower afterwards.”  
   
 Oikawa waved him off.  
   
 The storm worsened and nobody seemed to want to leave the school. Even so, some people left on foot. Most were picked up by parents or siblings, usually carpooling with neighbours, and in a couple hours there were only a few left.  
   
 Oikawa was sitting on Iwaizumi’s lap again. “Hey, Yama-chan!”  
   
 Yamaguchi blinked. “Y-Yes?”  
   
 “You and Kei-chan and Tobio-chan aren’t in any clubs, right?”  
   
 Tsuki huffed. “I have family matters to attend to after school.”  
   
 Kageyama scowled, again. “I’m in the volleyball club. You know that. You always come to flirt with Hanamaki-senpai and Matsuwaka-senpai.”  
   
 Yamaguchi shrugged. “I’m not in any clubs…”  
   
 Tsukishima looked out the window. “Storm hasn’t let up.”  
   
 Kageyama’s face relaxed. “Looks like it got worse…”  
   
 Hinata opened the little fridge and pulled out something before running back over and scooting by Tsuki. “Would you prefer this, Tsuki?”  
   
 “Tsukishima,” he corrected.  
   
 “Yamaguchi gets to call you Tsuki!”  
   
 Yamaguchi laughed, and covered his mouth.  
   
 “Shut up Tadashi.”  
   
 “Sorry Tsuki!”  
   
 Tsuki took the drink and looked away. “Why are we even here?”  
   
 Yamaguchi smiled. “You didn’t want to study in the library.”  
   
 “Right.” He sighed.  
   
 Oikawa laughed. “Noya, could you get everyone drinks?”  
   
 “Sure!”  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled. “It really is a lively little group.”  
   
 Oikawa nodded. “Mhm.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 When the storm finally let up, the remaining ones left one by one. Soon, it was just the two of them. Oikawa _still_ firmly claiming Iwaizumi’s lap as his seat (Iwaizumi had no complaints). After a couple pokes and playful teases, they fell into silence, staring at one another. Oikawa ran a hand through Iwaizumi’s hair, smiling.  
   
 Iwaizumi loved and hated that smile. Loved the brilliance, but hated how infectious it was.  
   
 Feeling a rush of heat in his stomach, Oikawa leaned in. Slowly, but determined.  
   
 Iwaizumi closed his eyes. Heart, beating, fast. He mentally prepared himself for what was coming next.  
   
 “Is anyone still—?”  
   
 “Sensei!” Oikawa yelled at the top of his lungs, “We were about to kiss!”  
   
 Ittetsu meeped a “Sorry!” before closing the door.  
   
 Oikawa huffed and turned back to Iwaizumi. “Where were we?”  
   
 Iwaizumi had a lopsided smile. “I think the mood’s kind of ruined. Off.”  
   
 “Are you kidding me?”  
   
 “Nope. Off.”  
   
 “No…” he whimpered as he slipped off.  
   
 “Want to get soba?”  
   
 “I want to get something that tastes like kisses!”  
   
 Iwaizumi got up and picked up one of the sweets. “Fine.” He held a pocky stick between his fingers. “Come here.” It was a strawberry cream pocky, and he put the biscuit side in his mouth.  
   
 Oikawa instantly brightened up and he strutted over. “Oh, Iwa-chan.” He caught the other end with his teeth and began nibbling. The two of them took bites until they were close, so very close.  
   
 But Iwaizumi broke off.  
   
 “Hey!” Oikawa yelled as he munched the sweetness. “Where the hell are you going?”  
   
 Iwaizumi took another one and just smiled. “Come on. Maybe I got shy.”  
   
 “Maybe you’re teasing me.”  
   
 “Maybe I am.”  
   
 Oikawa bit his lip.  
   
 Iwaizumi put another pocky in his mouth.  
   
 Oikawa chomped a large piece off, but—again—Iwaizumi moved away.  
   
 “Iwaizumi!”  
   
 “Wow, you used my full name this time.”  
   
 Oikawa sighed, trying his best to hide his smile. He put his arms around Iwaizumi’s neck. “Hajime…”  
   
 Iwaizumi felt his cheeks warm, but he wouldn’t chicken out this time. He put his arms around Oikawa’s waist and their bodies soon pressed against each other. They were quiet, both of them, still tasting the sweetness of strawberry cream on their tongues. It was silent, save for their gentle breathing, save for their hard heartbeats, pounding, pounding, pounding.  
   
 Oikawa wanted to lean in, but he faltered, ever so slightly. He took a breath and moved.  
   
 Iwaizumi, too, moved.  
   
 Until lips… touched lips…  
   
 Until lips, kissed lips.  
   
 For all their teasing, for all their games, and laughs, and smiles, and flirtations…  
   
 It was a shy kiss, really.  
   
 Like their first, years ago.  
   
 Two boys, too young to really know much about kissing.  
   
 Years had passed since then, but maybe they were no better.  
   
 The world shut away, and all they felt was each other. The world was gone, and all they knew was each other. Warm, wet, quiet. Sweet. Shy, shaking, but filled with the taste of want and need, bordering on desperation. It was flawless and perfect, bordering on pathetic.  
   
 Slowly, Oikawa pulled away, but he rested his forehead on Iwaizumi. They were quiet, still. Eyes closed. Arms, around each other.  
   
 Iwaizumi was the first to speak, “Been wanting to do that for a couple years.”  
   
 “Just a couple?”  
   
 “I’m trying to keep my dignity here.”  
   
 Oikawa smiled and gave another kiss, quicker, chaste, but a kiss all the same on his lips. “I like you, a lot. Like… as a person?”  
   
 “What?”  
   
 “I mean like… I don’t know.” He laughed. “I have no idea.”  
   
 “That’s okay.” Iwaizumi kissed the corner of his mouth. “I like you too, as a person. Whatever the hell you meant by that.”  
   
 Oikawa laughed, loud, and so did Iwaizumi. “Iwa-chan’s teasing me…”  
   
 “ToTooru-chan doesn’t mind.”  
   
 “No. I don’t.” He smiled. “Um…” He opened his eyes, slowly. “It… it doesn’t bother you, right?”  
   
 “What doesn’t?”  
   
 “The fact I’m… The fact my body is…”  
   
 “No.” Iwaizumi opened his eyes as well, and took a full second to just admire Oikawa’s brown eyes, warm and inviting. “Did you think it would?”  
   
 “No. I don’t know.” Oikawa shivered, despite how warm Iwaizumi was against him. “I have to ask… you know? Better than just wondering.”  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled, kissing Oikawa again, a little longer this time, before pulling away. “You’re not as confident or loud as you pretend you are, are you?”  
   
 Oikawa just pouted.  
   
 It was probably wrong to think that it was adorable when Iwaizumi knew there was a sea of stormy feelings in that pout. He smiled, nonetheless. “It’s not a bad thing, Tooru.” He kissed his cheek. “But if you ever… need to know something, just ask. I’d rather you stop worrying than mulling over it.”  
   
 “You know, you’re pretty sweet, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “Don’t tell anyone. I’ve got a reputation to hold up.”  
   
 “Iwa-chan you got here like two days ago. You don’t have a reputation.”  
   
 “Yeah, whatever. So… are you finally my boyfriend?”  
   
 “Yep. I’m expecting lots and lots of dates, you know?”  
   
 “Want to get soba? On me.”  
   
 Oikawa grinned and kissed him again. “Always.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 They went to another soba place, closer to the school. And, after eating, Oikawa and Iwaizumi walked without destination. The skies had cleared, rain absent. Sunlight reflected against the puddles here and there. Oikawa slowly intertwined his fingers with Iwaizumi, amazed by how well their hands ‘fit’ together.  
   
 “Want to come over?”  
   
 Iwaizumi looked at him. “Hm?”  
   
 “My place.”  
   
 “Sure.”  
   
 “It’s pretty far though… and you might get lost coming home since the city’s new to you. You might have to, stay the night.”  
   
 “Sure. I love sleeping on couches.”  
   
 “Oh come on.” He nudged him. “We can make out all night on my bed.”  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled, grinned even. “You don’t know much about taking things slow, huh?”  
   
 “I love taking things slow. Means I get to tease even more.”  
   
 “Where are we going?”  
   
 “Oh.” Oikawa stopped, and Iwaizumi did too. He looked around. “Well the train station is that way.” He pointed off to the large building ahead.  
   
 “Do they run late?”  
   
 “Oi.” Oikawa frowned. “This is Yokohama. The largest city in Japan.”  
   
 “That’s Tokyo, isn’t it?”  
   
 “Well, depends… We’re the largest incorporated city, but if you don’t count that then we’re second largest… but we milk the hell out of the incorporated city like you have no idea. It’s one of the things you have to do as a citizen here. Death to Tokyo.”  
   
 “What’s your point?”  
   
 “Oh. Yeah, anyway—We’re not basic bitches. Our trains run late.”  
   
 “Oh. I was in Miyagi last year.”  
   
 “Ew.”  
   
 Iwaizumi laughed and kissed him again, noting how sweet he tasted even after soba. Damn, he half wondered if he’d get addicted to those kisses.  
   
 “Come on. I wanna show you my place.”  
   
 “Your parents won’t mind?”  
   
 “They’re not home.”  
   
 “Oh. And they won’t be anytime soon?”  
   
 “Yeah. Mom’s in Tokyo, actually. Death to Tokyo. And Dad’s, well, gone.”  
   
 “Gone?”  
   
 “Yep. Gone. Nobody knows where he went.” Oikawa forced a smile. “I don’t want to talk about them, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “Fine by me.” He gave another kiss and watched the fake smile bloom into a real one.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 They stopped by a convenience store, grabbed a couple drinks and things, and argued over what they should do. Since they were close, they ended up going back to Iwaizumi’s place so he could grab a change of clothes. Since his dad was home, Iwaizumi made it quick and he grabbed everything he would need for what Oikawa was now calling a sleepover. He was starting to regret it, or at least that’s what he said. Oikawa knew it was a lie, and coaxed him with more kisses.  
   
 Warm, fluttery kisses.  
   
 On the train ride, Iwaizumi rested his head on Oikawa’s shoulder, who pulled him into a hug. There was barely anyone on the train, so they didn’t care much.  
   
 “I missed you,” whispered Oikawa.  
   
 “I missed you too.”  
   
 “Good.” Oikawa smiled. “I should be missed.”  
   
 “Next time I’ll aim better.”  
   
 “Hey!”  
   
 Iwaizumi laughed.  
   
 Oikawa grinned, kissing the top of his head. “It kind of feels like… we’re picking up right where we left off.”  
   
 “Yeah, kind of. But we’re not like twelve. We’re different now.”  
   
 “Mhm. That’s right. Now we know where to put the penis.”  
   
 Iwaizumi elbowed his thigh, and Oikawa yelped. “You ruin all our moments.”  
   
 Oikawa nuzzled his hair. “You don’t mind, right?”  
   
 “No. Not at all.”  
   
 Oikawa kissed the top of his head.  
   
 It was only then they remembered that, while the train wasn’t as packed as it was during the day, there were still people all around them. All of them stared, with smiles and snickers.  
   
 Both of them straightened up.  
   
 Iwaizumi scoffed. “That’s embarrassing.”  
   
 Oikawa pretended he wasn’t blushing. “Just a little.”


	4. Sleep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **What the fresh fuck?** Nikookie just drew [scenery fanart of Chapter 2](http://nikooki.tumblr.com/post/129180888938/i-tried-drawing-one-of-the-backgrounds-from)! It's the shrine that the Tsukishima brothers live at, Q.Q. JUST LoOK AT IT. I didn't even know scenery fanart was a thing, but ahidw i eiofa foafwoaoe gsoefoesg. The colours, the details, the fountain!! If you could reblog it, I would very much appreciate it. ; m ; 
> 
> I'm also glad you guys really like Chapter 3! Chapter 4 is probably my favourite chapter in the first half of this fic, so I hope you enjoy it! Don't be afraid to leave a comment and tell me how I'm doing, though!
> 
> * * *

 Kiyoko stood on the roof, the light breeze moving her hair so it tickled her cheeks. She adjusted her pink glasses and stared out over the horizon. How endless it seemed when she was young. How endless everything seemed, back then. She tucked her hair behind her ear and closed her eyes. She stayed still and simply enjoyed the next light breeze that ruffled her clothes and swept around her. It took her a moment, but she opened her eyes again.  
   
 Power was a funny thing, wasn’t it?  
   
 Kiyoko had always been mystified by power. By power of Alls or Nones, as simple as it sounded. She had been born, blessed with a power which made her – honestly – powerless. She had no powers of her own, although she possessed something. It angered her more than anything, but she did not complain, would not complain.  
   
 She glanced to the side to where she thought she saw someone. She had glanced to the side because she thought she had seen a short boy with two-toned hair. Black at the top, blond further down. But as soon as she saw it, the boy disappeared.  
   
 She adjusted her glasses one more time as her eyes narrowed.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “Okay, we have to play sleepover games, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “I already regret this.”  
   
 Oikawa laughed as he unlocked the door and let them both in. “Don’t worry; they’re fun.” He led Iwaizumi into the kitchen and then turned on his heel. “Seriously, we’re going to have so much fun with these games.”  
   
 “Okay… so, what ‘sleepover games’ are we playing?”  
   
 “Well, like… For one, we have to make out.”  
   
 Iwaizumi nodded. “That’s pretty important.”  
   
 Oikawa grinned, seeing the little upward curve at the edge of his boyfriend ( _his_ boyfriend)’s lips. “Then we’re going to paint our nails!”  
   
 “Okay.”  
   
 Oikawa paused for a moment, cocking his head to the side.  
   
 “What?”  
   
 “You’re supposed to freak out. I was kidding.”  
   
 Iwaizumi shrugged. “You can paint my nails.”  
   
 Oikawa eyed him carefully. “Really?”  
   
 “Yeah, I guess.” He shrugged again. “They’ll be pretty if you do it.”  
   
 “Oh, Iwa-chan.” Oikawa walked over and began petting his face. “You think too highly of me.”  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled, unable to help himself from stealing a kiss from the corner of Oikawa’s mouth. “Can you draw, or well I guess paint… can you paint little aliens on my nails?”  
   
 Oikawa blinked once, twice. “Why’s that?”  
   
 “Because you like aliens, and you like me, so… maybe you’ll like me even more if I had aliens on me…”  
   
 “Tch.” Oikawa turned away and walked out to the next room. With a hand covering his face, he shook his head. “That was… too fucking cute.” He walked back in. “Shit, I wasn’t ready for that, Iwa-chan!”  
   
 “Sorry…?”  
   
 “Excuse you, Hajime. You violated the most important rule: That I have to be the cutest one in the relationship at all times.”  
   
 “Oh.” Iwaizumi couldn’t help but smile. “I did?”  
   
 “Yes. You did. So apologise and take it back.”  
   
 “Okay. I’m sorry.” He walked over, putting both his arms around Oikawa’s waist. “But I still want you to draw aliens on me.”  
   
 “I will.” Oikawa threw his arms around Iwaizumi’s neck, savouring the few inches that made him taller than his boyfriend. “And they’re going to be awesome. I can’t paint for shit, but aliens I can do.”  
   
 “Nerd.”  
   
 “Yeah, okay.” Oikawa pulled away, big smile on his lips. As he pulled away, he caught Iwaizumi’s hand and held it, tenderly, for a second before he tugged. “Come on, Iwa-chan, let me show you my place.”  
   
 The apartment was small, technically. But compared to other apartments downtown it could be considered big. The main entrance was by the kitchen, which was spacious and connected to the living room. Then there were two bedrooms on each side, with their own bathrooms.  
   
 “And this!” Oikawa said as he pulled Iwaizumi behind him. “Is my room!” He let go of his boyfriend and jumped on the bed.  
   
 The bed was in the centre of the room, a queen sized bed. The walls were orange, except the ceiling which was white. There were posters on every wall, as there were pinned pictures of Oikawa and his friends, mostly Suga, but Iwaizumi recognised some others—Hinata, Nishinoya, Yachi, others from the club, there was one with the really grumpy guy (Kagayama?) of when they were much younger. They had books in their hands, McGrumps was smiling wide, and Iwaizumi wondered if it was one of those ‘help first graders read’ things. Iwaizumi glanced around the room, then to the bed, where it looked like Oikawa was sinking into the poofiness of his bed.  
   
 The blanket was orange, but a lighter shade than his walls, black, and white, with large swirls and strange patterns. The bed sheets themselves were a dark maroon red, and so were the pillow cases.  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled. “Wow.”  
   
 Oikawa grinned. “Do you like my room?”  
   
 “I like those.” He pointed to the posters, which were mostly large blown-up pictures of shirtless guys.  
   
 “Well, it helps with, you know, inspiration!”  
   
 “Uhuh.” Iwaizumi walked over and pressed his knee on the edge of the bed. He crawled onto the bed, until he was next to Oikawa, and he let himself down slowly. They were silent for a moment and he couldn’t help but smile. “I…” Iwaizumi reached out, slowly, and touched Oikawa’s face, brushing his cheek with his thumb. “I’m still just… trying to wrap my head around all of this.”  
   
 “Around what? How amazingly awesome I am?”  
   
 “Is it your job to ruin every moment?”  
   
 “No, just a hobby.” Oikawa kissed him and they shared a laugh between their lips. He pulled away and smiled. His voice was much softer this time as he said, “Wrap your head around what?”  
   
 “Just… you. Here. Being here. And, me… also here. I don’t know, I just… The fact that I happened to go to your school, in your class, and the fact that you’re single, and you’re still interested in me—the fact that you actually remember me, and—”  
   
 Oikawa cut him off with a kiss. His lips were soft, but forceful on Iwaizumi. They held the kiss for a breath before they moved away. Oikawa opened his eyes and shook his head. “Don’t be dumb.” He forced a little smile. “You moved around a lot?”  
   
 “Yeah. Been to something like… six schools in four years? The past four years. It wasn’t fun.”  
   
 “Harsh…” Oikawa moved closer and nuzzled the crook between his neck and shoulder. “I couldn’t imagine that. I would just, never feel at home, anywhere.”  
   
 “Not… really. I mean, a bit, yeah. It didn’t bother me.”  
   
 “Well, then… This is your home. Here.” Oikawa put a hand on Iwaizumi’s chest, feeling his heartbeat against his fingertips. “With me.”  
   
 “Your…” Iwaizumi put his arms around Oikawa and pulled him close. “Your, uh, parents…”  
   
 “Parent,” he corrected.  
   
 “I know you didn’t really want to talk about it but… She’s in Tokyo?”  
   
 “Yeah. Death to Tokyo.”  
   
 “You really need to stop saying that.”  
   
 “You’re probably right.”  
   
 “How long is she going to be there?”  
   
 “Well, she works there. So she just kinda, ditched me here. It’s nice though.” He pulled away and looked at Iwaizumi. “I can do what I want. Independence. It’s nice.”  
   
 “For some, yeah.”  
   
 “Hm?” Oikawa toppled on top of him. “You don’t want it?”  
   
 “Um…” Iwaizumi shrugged. “Don’t want to talk about it.”  
   
 “Then we don’t talk—we paint our nails. Or, it would be better to do that after we shower, huh?” He winked twice. “Shower.”  
   
 “Shut up.” Iwaizumi grabbed his hips and threw him aside.  
   
 Oikawa bounced on the bed and laughed, rolling right back to Iwaizumi’s side. “You know I’m taller than you now.”  
   
 “Yeah. It’s cool.”  
   
 Oikawa smiled. “It’s cool?”  
   
 “Mhm.”  
   
 “Really?”  
   
 Iwaizumi kissed his cheek. “Shut up. Let’s do something.”  
   
  _”Iwa-chan,”_ Oikawa said in a scandalous voice.  
   
 “Shut up. I’m going home.”  
   
 “No!” Oikawa threw himself on Iwaizumi again, grinning. “Please don’t go.”  
   
 “I’m trapped here,” he muttered. “I don’t remember the train route to get back home.”  
   
 “Perfect. That’s the way I like my boyfriends.”  
   
 Iwaizumi snorted and (with some effort since Oikawa was clinging to him) got out of the bed. Standing now, he put an arm around Oikawa’s waist. “So what do we do now? You’re the leader of the slumber party.”  
   
 “Hmmm. Um. Chick flicks?” Oikawa frowned.  
   
 “You seem really confused.”  
   
 “Well, when Koushi and I have sleep overs, we usually talk about boys we like, which would be us, so that’s kind of not going to work… What else do we do. Oh. Take dumb selfies, watch bad movies, make out a little.”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s eyebrow arched upwards. “You make out with Suga-san?”  
   
 “Yeah!”  
   
 Iwaizumi looked away and mumbled something.  
   
 “What?”  
   
 “I said…”  
   
 “Yeah?”  
   
 “I said…” Iwaizumi looked back at him, cheeks red, eyes to the ground. “Hot.”  
   
 Oikawa snorted and shoved Iwaizumi back several times until he yelped and toppled onto the couch. Oikawa jumped on top of him, crawling until they were even, head to head, and he placed the smallest, most gentle kiss on his lips. “Can we cuddle?”  
   
 “Yeah. Hell fucking yeah.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Cuddling with Oikawa was everything Iwaizumi thought it would be. His skin was so soft, so incredibly soft that it made Iwaizumi feel… safe. Like none of his worries mattered, like nothing would hurt him. He closed his eyes, pulling Oikawa close against him, just feeling their bodies against each other. But cuddling with Oikawa was, of course, as every bit annoying as he thought it would be.  
   
 And by annoying, he meant fun.  
   
 Oikawa would surprise him every few minutes with a little poke to a pressure point, causing both of them to giggle like kids. A few times, Iwaizumi had to grab both of Oikawa’s hands to make him stop, but the devious, devious smile on Oikawa’s lips were telling that the misfortunes would only give in. Oikawa used his knees, his lips, his nose, his crotch—whatever he could to bug Iwaizumi.  
   
 “You’re so annoying!”  
   
 “I’m so fun!”  
   
 “Tooru, I want to hit you.”  
   
 “You mean ‘spank’.”  
   
 “Tooru.”  
   
 “Iwa-chan.”  
   
 Iwaizumi now had both of Oikawa’s hands in his, and he used both of his legs to keep Oikawa’s together. Still, the little shit wiggled from time to time, but Iwaizumi couldn’t help but kiss him when he did. “I hate you.”  
   
 “I can tell.” Oikawa smiled. “Wanna make out now?”  
   
 “Promise you’ll be good?”  
   
 Oikawa laughed. “Yes, Hajime. I’ll be good.”  
   
 Iwaizumi let go of his limbs and then moved so he was on top of his boyfriend. He still couldn’t get over that. _His_ boyfriend. His _boyfriend_. Oikawa was… He silenced his thought by pressing their lips together. It started slow, gentle. A little burn. But it didn’t take long to heat up.  
   
 Oikawa wrapped his arms around Iwaizumi’s neck and flipped them over, so he was on top. He pressed their mouths together, tasting, feeling, longing. He felt his cheeks warm into a soft pink blush, and he wondered how something so simple like a kiss could have such an effect on him. Hell, Oikawa could strip for a guy, jerk him off, take his load with his face, and he could walk away smirking like it never mattered. But, this, just a kiss… He hated it, in some way, feeling so… vulnerable, like things mattered. But he couldn’t deny how… right, it felt.  
   
 It was so… textbook romance, in some ways, and yet—did Oikawa really have anything to complain about?  
   
 The kiss, as long as it was, was deep and innocent.  
   
 And Oikawa wanted to get lost in it.  
   
 Iwaizumi put his hands on Oikawa’s hips, pulling his body down, so they were against each other. He was a little surprised that it wasn’t Oikawa who first used tongue (he thought Oikawa would definitely be more forward out of them) but he didn’t mind. Soon enough, he felt Oikawa’s tongue against his, but they were slow, careful movements. Iwaizumi could taste Oikawa’s shyness, and it was sweet. He couldn’t help but smile.  
   
 Oikawa had gone nuts teasing him, so it was only fair if…  
   
 Iwaizumi moved his hands from Oikawa’s hips down, to his ass, and gave a squeeze.  
   
 Oikawa straightened his back, shooting upwards, yelping. He covered his mouth, cheeks burning red. “Iwa-chan!”  
   
 Iwaizumi cackled. He never laughed loud, but seeing Oikawa so… _flustered_ … His heart skipped a beat. “Sorry.”  
   
 “Someone’s too excited!”  
   
 “Maybe I am.”  
   
 “What happened to ‘I want to take it slow, Toto-chan’?”  
   
 “When did I ever call you Toto-chan?”  
   
 “Your first day!”  
   
 “I called you ToTooru, because I _stuttered_.”  
   
 “—and created the most wonderful nickname. It’s like My Neighbour Totoro!”  
   
 “Oh, are you _that_ hairy?”  
   
 Oikawa choked on his own spit and then playfully smacked the side of Iwaizumi’s head. “That’s awful, don’t laugh!”  
   
 Iwaizumi laughed.  
   
 “I’ll have you know, that I am a symbol of beauty!” He raised both his hands and started smacking Iwaizumi even more.  
   
 Iwaizumi was still laughing as he raised his arms above his head to protect himself. “Hey, nothing wrong with hairy.”  
   
 “I know that but Totoro is literally _covered_ in hair. And I’ll have you know I shave certain areas, thank you very much!”  
   
 Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow. “Really?”  
   
 Oikawa stopped the onslaught of smacking and gave a mock pout. “Oh, you’re getting curious now… don’t try to sneak a peek when I’m in the shower, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “Knowing you? You’ll probably throw the curtain wide open and pose if I tried.”  
   
 Oikawa burst into laughter and leaned down, stealing a quick kiss. “I probably would.” He moved back just enough to see Iwaizumi’s face. “Call me Toto-chan…”  
   
 “No. That’s one thing I won’t do.”  
   
 “Oh come on! It’s a perfect nickname. You need a pet name for me.”  
   
 “I _need_ one, huh?”  
   
 “It’ll make me happy…”  
   
 “Nuh uh, Princess.”  
   
 Oikawa’s smile faded. He paused. His lips tugged together in a pout, but it wasn’t a mock one this time. It wasn’t cute, either: It was more of a frown. “I’m not…”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s smile stayed on his lips, but its intensity darkened. “I just meant you act like one.” He didn’t get a reply, so he poked Oikawa’s hip.  
   
 Oikawa wiggled and raised his back.  
   
 Iwaizumi moved both his arms behind him and pushed himself up. Leaning back on his arms, he tilted his head as he examined his boyfriend’s face. “Tooru?”  
   
 “I’m…” Oikawa looked away. “A boy. I mean… I’m. I’m a man.”  
   
 “Yeah, I know that.” Iwaizumi wondered what was wrong for only a few seconds, until his eyes widened. “Oh, shit. I didn’t mean it like that.” He put both arms around Oikawa and pulled him in.  
   
 But Oikawa pushed away. “Then… how _did_ you mean it?”  
   
 “I just like… I don’t know. It’s like how some gay guys call themselves princesses or queens… I just meant, you’re a spoiled brat—but a spoiled boy brat.”  
   
 A small smile formed on Oikawa’s lips.  
   
 And Iwaizumi swore his heart melted. He moved a hand up and cupped Oikawa’s face. “Prince,” he corrected. _Prince,_ yeah he liked the sound of that.  
   
 “That… sounds dumb, Iwa-chan.” He looked away, face red.  
   
 “It’s a cute nickname. You wanted one, right?”  
   
 “It’s dumb.” He looked back at Iwaizumi, full smile on his face now. “Let’s go with Toto-chan.”  
   
 “You’re _such_ a loser.” He pulled him close, again, but this time Oikawa didn’t pull away. He kissed the side of his boyfriend’s head.  
   
 “But… you don’t mind, right?”  
   
 “No, not at all.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 When it was time to shower, Oikawa went in first. When he came out, he had a yellow bathrobe around him. He saw Iwaizumi lying down on the couch, on his back, facing his way, so he turned around. He tugged his bathrobe down a bit so it revealed the smooth skin of his shoulders, and he swayed a little. “Hey, your boyfriend’s naked, look!”  
   
 “Not now,” muttered Iwaizumi as he kept tapping his phone. “I’ve almost got a high score.”  
   
 “I’ll have you know I have a very nice body, Iwa-chan. And I shave!”  
   
 “Mhm. You told me. Certain areas.”  
   
 “Not just certain areas…” He let his bathrobe dip with every syllable as he said: “E-ve-ry-where.”  
   
 Iwaizumi looked up, eyes wide and alert.  
   
 “Too late!” Oikawa tugged the bathrobe back on and ran into his room, cackles following the door closing shut.  
   
 “Damnit…” Iwaizumi looked at his phone. “My high score…” He got up and went to Oikawa’s bathroom. It was a nice, spacious place. Unlike his shower, which was just a square shower, this one had a tub. He glanced to the towel, cream coloured, that Oikawa had offered him and he looked around for a bit. “Hey, Tooru.”  
   
 “What?”  
   
 “Do you have any soap or stuff that doesn’t smell like…?”  
   
 Oikawa left his room and appeared at the bathroom doorway tugging down his pyjama shirt over his head. His pyjamas were blue, covered in green aliens. “Like what?”  
   
 “Like ‘I am a bottom bitch twink’?”  
   
 Oikawa grinned. “That’s totally what I thought when I smelled it!”  
   
 “Yeah, it smells like ‘I am a bottom bitch twink’ and ‘I want an older guy to fuck me against a wall’.”  
   
 “What’s wrong, Iwa-chan? You don’t like older men?”  
   
 “I… didn’t say that.”  
   
 “Ooooo. Maybe you’re a bottom bitch, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “You’re such a loser.” He walked over and kissed Oikawa, the same flutter in his chest as their first one. “But, seriously?”  
   
 “Um, I can find something! Mom has soap and stuff. Not hers, but she keeps some for guests or whatever.”  
   
 And within a few minutes, Oikawa called out “Here!” and tossed an unopened box containing a bar of soap.  
   
 Iwaizumi caught it. “Thanks.”  
   
 “That’s all I get? I deserve more.”  
   
 “Do you want me to get on one knee and kiss your hand?”  
   
 Oikawa didn’t miss the sarcasm, but he took as regal and royal of a pose as he could as he offered his hand.  
   
 Iwaizumi grumbled as he got on one knee and took the hand gently. He kissed it. “Thank you, Prince.”  
   
 “Oh my God.” Oikawa yanked his hand away. “Stop being cute—the rule states I _have_ to be the cuter one!”  
   
 “Okay, asshole. I was being nice. Get out.”  
   
 “Iwa-chan!”  
   
 “Out.”  
   
 The door closed angrily, but both of them were grinning wildly. Iwaizumi locked the door and stripped. As he showered he noticed the bar of soap was sea salt scented. It smelled crisp, clean, fresh, like the ocean.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 When Iwaizumi was done with his shower, he walked into Oikawa’s bedroom to see, reading a manga. It was a manga Hinata had recommended (which meant tons of explosions, but this one wasn’t half-bad for once), which meant he was thinking more about all the kisses he’d gotten recently, thinking back to his previous boyfriends, and comparing. What Iwaizumi didn’t know was how Oikawa was thinking the same thing he was—that it felt like they’dve been dating for a long time.  
   
 Iwaizumi knocked on the open door. “Hey, Tooru?”  
   
 “Toto-chan,” he corrected.  
   
 Iwaizumi sighed the deepest sigh, deeper than the depths of hell. “Toto-chan,” he grumbled, “Where did I put my bag when I got in? I need my clothes.” When Oikawa looked at him, Iwaizumi blinked. “Are you okay?”  
   
 “Holy shit…” Oikawa got up and the manga volume fell out of his hand, page unmarked. “What the fuck.” Iwaizumi had the towel around his waist, and Oikawa shivered as he pushed two fingers against Iwaizumi’s chest. He instantly recoiled, as if burnt, and then touched it again. “Whoa…”  
   
 “Um…”  
   
 “Are you… are you anime? Did aliens make you? Did you use Photoshop?”  
   
 “Uh… only one of those made sense, and… no. I work out.”  
   
 Oikawa whispered, _“Score!”_ in the voice of those touched by a higher being. “Wow.”  
   
 “Um… my bag? Clothes?”  
   
 “Oh.” Oikawa looked up. “I moved it by the coffee table, by the T.V., since I almost tripped on it.”  
   
 “Oh. Thanks.” He turned around and heard a gasp.  
   
 “You have a tattoo!? You’re like, seventeen!”  
   
 It was a dragon done in tribal down his shoulder blade. Iwaizumi just kept walking, grabbing his backpack. “Can you not watch me change?”  
   
 “I don’t mind, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled and gave him a stern look.  
   
 “Okay okay.” Oikawa sighed. “But if I peek, it’s not my fault.”  
   
 Iwaizumi waited until he heard the door close before he changed. He wore his pyjamas, as Oikawa requested, and put his old clothes aside.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Oikawa looked stupid with hairclips, but with how swishy, wooshy, and wild his hair was, he used four or five hair clips to move his hair back. They were sitting on the kitchen floor, cold white tiles, but they were warm in their P.J.s “Okay, so like I told you, I suck at painting anything that’s not just a basic shape. The only exception is aliens, of course.”  
   
 “Mhm. That’s all we talked about, wasn’t it? Well, aliens and anime.”  
   
 “Yep!”  
   
 “Did you ever end up making that alien anime you wanted to?”  
   
 Oikawa snorted as he uncapped the top of his nail polish. “Oh God… I forgot about that; don’t remind me…” He paused and look up. “How do you even remember that?”  
   
 “You gave me your drawings, remember?”  
   
 “Oh God, I did… didn’t I?”  
   
 “Yeah, I… still have them.”  
   
 “Are you serious?”  
   
 “I packed them away, but they’re in a box I never open, for all my special shit.”  
   
 “Wow.” Oikawa did a little dance in his seat. “You were crushing on me hard, huh?”  
   
 Iwaizumi looked at him, seriously. “How could I not? You’re… so, fucking… perfect.”  
   
 “Iwa-chan…” Oikawa’s smile and blush betrayed the grave expression he was trying to make. “I should punish you for breaking the rule again, but… I’m a bit busy.”  
   
 “What are we doing now?”  
   
 “Nail polish.”  
   
 “But you already put something on them?”  
   
 “That was the base coat! You put it before the nail polish so it… sticks better? Or something, I have no idea. It just looks better.” He dipped the brush of an olive coloured polish and raised his head. “Extend your hands again. Carefully, and don’t move this time.”  
   
 “Yes Sir…”  
   
 Oikawa was careful with his strokes, taking his time and humming as he concentrated. Iwaizumi didn’t look down at his nails; no, he was far too busy just watching Oikawa’s face as he focused on something with all his mind. It was a gorgeous face, Iwaizumi thought, and he almost doubted that he actually had the honour of kissing it more than once before.  
   
  _This is real,_ Iwaizumi remembered.  
   
 Oikawa went on and on, and Iwaizumi didn’t listen to any of it. Something about cuticle oil and finishing coat. He wasn’t sure why his fingers were in ice water, but Oikawa was doing it too. When they removed the nails, Iwaizumi looked at his nails. They were olive faces with black eyes and mouth. They actually looked… good. “Yours are clear.”  
   
 “Mhm.” Oikawa showed his off. It was only a clear polish, but it made his nails pretty. And that’s what mattered. “Like them?”  
   
 “Yeah.” He looked at his nails. “I like mine too.”  
   
 “I like yours a lot too, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “Thanks.” He grinned. “So, are they dry yet?”  
   
 “More or less, yeah. It takes nail polish a long time to fully dry—I read twenty four hours once, but I don’t know if that’s true. Now that we have pretty nails, let’s open a bag of chips and mess them up.”  
   
 Iwaizumi glanced at the time. “We still have school tomorrow.”  
   
 “Yeah, and if we watch a movie now we can get…” He looked at the time as well. “Six hours of sleep.”  
   
 “Okay, but…” Iwaizumi wiggled his fingers. “I’ve never had pretty nails before. I don’t want to mess them up with chips.”  
   
 “Fine, you loser. We’ll put them in a bowl and use chopsticks. Now let’s watch a movie.”  
   
 “Sure.” But Iwaizumi was more looking at his nails. “You did a good job.”  
   
 Oikawa walked over to the couch. “Yeah, you could say I _nailed_ it!”  
   
 Iwaizumi turned and kicked him hard—throwing him over the back of the couch.  
   
 “Iwa-chan!” Oikawa got up. “You kicked me!”  
   
 “It was a light kick. And you like it when I hit you.”  
   
 “Of course I do, Iwa-chan, but you also have to kiss it better!”  
   
 “Yeah, whatever.” Iwaizumi pretended it was annoying, but his heart did a little flutter at the chance of getting to kiss Oikawa again.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 About halfway through an awful, awful movie, they turned the T.V. off. Oikawa kissed his neck. “Sleep next to me, on my bed. It’s comfier than the couch.”  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled. “Is it?”  
   
 “Yesss. And you’ll be next to me, double bonus.” When Iwaizumi opened his mouth, Oikawa gave a sharp “Don’t you say it! It _is_ a bonus!”  
   
 “Okay, okay.” He pulled himself up and the two of them walked to Oikawa’s room, Iwaizumi flicking the light switch to darken the T.V. room before they went.  
   
 Oikawa jumped on his bed again, and pulled the sheets down to reveal way too many stuffed animals for any self-respecting seventeen year old to have. He fluffed the pillows and then looked at Iwaizumi expectantly.  
   
 “Jesus,” he muttered, “You’re cute.”  
   
 “Iwa-chan, don’t compliment other men when I’m around; although, I am sure Jesus was cute.”  
   
 Iwaizumi smacked him across the head.  
   
 “Ouch! So mean!”  
   
 Iwaizumi kissed it tenderly.  
   
 Oikawa put both arms around his waist and yanked him into bed. He didn’t even care that Iwaizumi yelped. He just climbed on top of him and rested his chin on Iwaizumi’s chest. “Hey, do you remember…? When we were younger, and we snuggled up in the same bunk?”  
   
 “And that one year we shared a futon?”  
   
 Oikawa smiled, nuzzling his chest. “It’s like no time has passed at all…”  
   
 “But it has. We’re not the same as we were.”  
   
 “But we’re not that different either.”  
   
 “I guess.”  
   
 Oikawa hesitated for a moment, before he pushed his forehead against Iwaizumi. “You used to… smile more, though.”  
   
 Iwaizumi felt his stomach squeeze, and his jaw tightened. “Yeah… it’s been, a tough few years.”  
   
 Oikawa rolled over and pulled Iwaizumi in, pushing Iwaizumi’s head into his neck. He kissed the top of his head four times. “Are you okay?”  
   
 “Huh?”  
   
 “I mean, are you okay? Like… safe?”  
   
 Iwaizumi hugged back, slowly, and took in the floral scent that Oikawa pulled off so well. “I’m safe.”  
   
 “I mean… like, physically, and just… you seem okay, but you don’t seem okay.”  
   
 “I’ll be okay if you’re here.”  
   
 Oikawa kissed the top of his head again and pulled him in tight.  
   
 It was when they both closed their eyes that Iwaizumi asked, “Who’s going to turn off the light?”


	5. Start

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So last chapter we broke 1,000 hits, and this chapter we broke 100 kudos, and we're at 92 comments so -- next chapter we'll probably break 100 comments! Thank you guys for the kind words and the support, <3\. Hope you keep enjoying the fic! As usual, feel free to point out any typos/mistakes you see. And feel free to give me feedback too! 
> 
> Enjoy Chapter 5!
> 
> * * *

 Sleeping next to Oikawa was awesome. He already knew that. Though it had been years ago, he remembered how Oikawa would relax against him and rest. His soft breathing, soft skin, soft hair… He remembered how little Oikawa actually moved when he was asleep, but he would do little nose nudges against him. Iwaizumi remembered it all, and opened up to let it all happen again.  
   
 Sleeping next to Oikawa was awesome. He remembered that.  
   
 What he forgot was that _waking up_ next to Oikawa was even better.  
   
 Oikawa had huddled into the crook of his neck, nuzzling the warm, good safety. He had made himself as small as possible and pressed himself into Iwaizumi as much as possible.  
   
 Iwaizumi had one lazy arm around Oikawa. The other scratched the back of his head as he watched, felt, Oikawa next to him. Oddly enough, the feeling reminded him of stackable cups. The way things fit together, so well, that they must have been designed that way. Iwaizumi didn’t believe in fate, and if anyone said ‘Soulmate’ near him he would kick them in the face.  
   
 But the way they worked so well together…  
   
 The way they fit so well together…  
   
 Iwaizumi closed his eyes and nuzzled the top of Oikawa’s head, nuzzling the soft brown strands. He kissed Oikawa’s head and smiled.  
   
 Eventually Oikawa’s alarm went off. Iwaizumi didn’t really mind it, since Oikawa’s alarm was a song—as opposed to the blaring beep of death Iwaizumi set as his own alarm. But Oikawa stirred, whining. Iwaizumi reached over and grabbed Oikawa’s phone, turning off the alarm. “Morning.”  
   
 “Morning, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa said before he yawned. “You’re so lucky you get to snuggle me.”  
   
 “Luckiest boy in the world.”  
   
 Oikawa grinned and moved his head back, slowly opening his eyes, and blinking several times while he did. “Hi.”  
   
 Iwaizumi hated how easily Oikawa could make him smile, but he didn’t fight it—not this time. “Hi.”  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes glanced down. “You have little teddy bears on your pyjamas.”  
   
 “Mhm.” Iwaizumi looked away. “Aliens aren’t better.”  
   
 “You’re so cute.”  
   
 “You’re cuter.”  
   
 “I know I am.”  
   
 “Shut up.” Iwaizumi sat up. “I’m leaving.”  
   
 “No, no, no…” Oikawa whined, pouting. The perfect puppy eyes got his boyfriend to snuggle him again and he smiled. “We didn’t do our homework yesterday…”  
   
 “Oh. Well… Are you busy after school?”  
   
 “Nope. We can do it then, and catch up and stuff.”  
   
 The door opened. Both of them raised their heads.  
   
 Sugawara stepped in muttering a, “I’m borrowing that hoodie.” He stopped though, glancing to Iwaizumi. “Oh. Hey. Hi.”  
   
 “Um. Hello.”  
   
 “Nice P.J.s. Are those bears?”  
   
 “Yeah.”  
   
 Oikawa laughed. “Kou-chan and I steal each other’s clothes.”  
   
 Suga nodded. “I live, across the hall.” He pointed at the direction of the door as if that would help. “Anyway…” He opened Oikawa’s closet and took the thin white hoodie. “I’ll, uh, go on ahead.”  
   
 “Koushi,” whined Oikawa. “You don’t have to be weird. And stop being jealous… if you just made your move on Daichi—”  
   
 “Shhh!”  
   
 “Oh don’t leave! Wait, wait. Koushiii. I told Iwaizumi we make out a lot!”  
   
 Sugawara meeped, face inventing new shades of red.  
   
 Iwaizumi coughed. “Dude, shut up.”  
   
 Oikawa laughed it off. “He said it was hot!”  
   
 Sugawara blasted out of the room.  
   
 “He’s so cute when he’s flustered!”  
   
 “You’re a horrible friend.”  
   
 “Mhm.” He leaned over and kissed Iwaizumi’s cheek. “We’ve got a good thirty-five minutes before we gotta be on the train, the last one to get there on time.”  
   
 “So… can I make breakfast?”  
   
 “Sure. Be the housewife.”  
   
 Iwaizumi rolled his eyes and got to work. Oikawa’s fridge was kind of pitifully stocked, but he managed to figure out what he could do. He started with eggs in the pan. They were just basic scrambled eggs, but he cooked them on low so he could do other things while they cooked. In terms of greens, there wasn’t much. There were fruits, though. He chopped some melons, splitting them among two plates, and saw what else he could do.  
   
 There was dashi stock, and some miso, so he got to work. He didn’t have tofu, but he did find some cabbage. He would have to make do.  
   
 Oikawa yawned and took his time getting up, mostly daydreaming about kissing Iwaizumi. After a few minutes he went to the kitchen and wrapped his arms around Iwaizumi’s waist, resting his chin on Iwaizumi’s shoulders. “If you could put one thing in my pussy, right now… what would it be?”  
   
 “Scrambled eggs.”  
   
 Oikawa convulsed, “What?”  
   
 “Scrambled eggs are going to burn—please get off.”  
   
 “O-Oh.” Oikawa jumped back and put a hand over his beating heart. “Eggs are not sexual things.”  
   
 “No, not quite my thing.” Iwaizumi grabbed the plates and brought them to the table.  
   
 Oikawa blinked and looked. “Wait, when did you make all this?”  
   
 “I know how to make food quickly. It might not be great, but it’s food.”  
   
 Oikawa moved behind Iwaizumi and hugged him tight. “You’re a perfect little housewife.”  
   
 “Okay. Get off.”  
   
 “Iwa-chan, talk dirty to me.”  
   
 Iwaizumi shivered, looking over his shoulder. “What?”  
   
 “I have a feeling…” Oikawa whispered, “You can’t do it.”  
   
 “I can.”  
   
 “Then do it. Just say one thing, dirty dirty.”  
   
 Iwaizumi smirked and spun around. He put his hands on Oikawa’s hips and pushed him against the fridge. Pressing their bodies together, he whispered, “I want to fuck you hard, like the slut you are.”  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes widened and he shivered. “Oh God…” He looked away.  
   
 Iwaizumi backed away a bit. “What? Did I go too far?”  
   
 “I am just…” Oikawa’s knees wiggled and he looked down. “Wet.”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s face heated up, flushing with shades of red.  
   
 “Ohhh.” Oikawa looked up and smirked. “You can dish it out, but you can’t take it…”  
   
 “Shut up. Breakfast is going to get cold.”  
   
 “Mhm. I’m coming, don’t worry.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 When they got on the train, Suga had gone ahead. Oikawa seemed a little sad about that, but then Iwaizumi reminded him it was his fault Suga was all flustered. Oikawa agreed, but said it didn’t matter. Neither of them minded that they had to stand to give their seats to the elderly. With the little shifts of the train, it gave them an excuse just to lean on each other for every turn. Oikawa wondered if every day was going to be like this – and if it was, Oikawa couldn’t wait. He smiled; and, when he was sure no one was looking, he stole a quick, silent kiss. No one noticed, but that didn’t make Iwaizumi blush any less. Oikawa knew, then, that his life purpose and the very reason he was put on this Earth was to make Iwaizumi blush.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
  _[Oikawa Tooru, 7:12am] You didn’t wait 4 us?  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 7:14am] Nope, sorry! Last thing I wanted was to see you gushing over your new bf. It’s cute, really, but seriously you go over the top every time.  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 7:15am] it’s totally different this time.  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 7:16am] *Train noises*  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 7:18am] omg you slut. I’m serious. I actually like really rly like himmm.  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 7:20am] Weren’t you the one who said boyfriends were just accessories?  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 7:23am] okayyy yeeaaah but I was crying over a tub of ice cream trying to feel better.  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 7:23am] it’s not like I ment it.  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 7:24am] *Train noises*  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 7:25am] I’m srs tho.  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 7:26am] You still haven’t told me how you know this guy??  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 7:26am] o  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 7:27am] Well don’t worry, I’ll tell you when we hang out this weekend. Hell pass the Sugaspection. Promise.  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 7:30am] I’ll be the judge of that.  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 7:32am] *Kiss kiss*  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 7:32am] *Happy train noises*_  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 When they passed by the convenience store, Oikawa pulled Iwaizumi in. “The cafeteria isn’t the greatest, trust me.” They picked up a couple things and went on with their day, together.  
   
 Classes were more or less the same. Nothing hard since school had only recently started. Iwaizumi found it hard to focus, though. Or, rather… what really happened was that it was hard for Oikawa to focus, which meant Oikawa kept zoning out and watching Iwaizumi. Iwaizumi, completely aware of it, then found it hard for himself to focus. He decided to just take really good notes since Oikawa was obviously not paying attention.  
   
 When it was lunch, the two of them went to the roof and waited for Suga. While they walked up the stairs, Oikawa held his hand. Iwaizumi felt like an idiot holding hands in public. If it were up to him, he would keep that for when it was just the two of them. But, since it made Oikawa happy… Iwaizumi knew he was fucked. As long as something made Oikawa happy…  
   
  _[Sugawara Koushi, 12:02pm] Can’t eat lunch with you guys, Daichi asked me to eat lunch with his friends.  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 12:07pm] if you choke down his dick I’ll give you 500 yen.  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 12:10pm] *ANGRY TRAIN NOISES*  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 12:11pm] more like sexually frustrated tRAIN NOISES AMIRITE?  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 12:11pm] *ANGRY TRAIN NOISES*_  
   
 But Oikawa did end up putting his phone away, focusing on Iwaizumi. The two of them chatted a bit as they ate their convenience store lunch, sandwiches wrapped up.  
   
 “You okay, Tooru?”  
   
 “Huh? Do I not look okay?”  
   
 “No, no. You look okay. You look happy, just… quiet.”  
   
 “Is that bad, Iwa-chan?”  
   
 “No. I just didn’t know you could be.”  
   
 “Rude!”  
   
 Iwaizumi laughed. “Sorry.”  
   
 Oikawa smiled and kissed his cheek. “I’m just very content.”  
   
 “Mmm.” Iwaizumi eyed him for a moment. “You used to be like this.”  
   
 “Yeah?”  
   
 “Yeah.” Iwaizumi opened his mouth to say something else, but shook his head. “Nevermind.”  
   
 “Okayyyyy. But now I’m curious…”  
   
 “Just eat.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 After school they wanted to study together. They figured they’d go to the library for a bit, then back to Oikawa’s house. The thought of their previous night together made them both smile. “Iwa-chan, nobody’s commented on your nails yet—you have to flaunt them!” But their time was cut short.  
   
 Iwaizumi sighed as he looked at his phone. “Dad’s being an ass. He wants me to come home…”  
   
 Oikawa looked from Iwaizumi, to his phone, then back up again. “You should go.”  
   
 “I know… I just, wanted to spend time with you.”  
   
 Oikawa felt it, the bloom in his chest. Like a warm flower finally expanding, showing its colours. Oikawa smiled. “We’ll see each other tomorrow… And Iwa-chan can text me if he gets lonely-chan.”  
   
 “Will do.” He leaned over, not caring about the others in the library, kissing the corner of his mouth.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 As Oikawa walked home, alone, he couldn’t help but think… It had only been a few minutes ago, but the words reverberated in his head like they were something he had heard both years ago and just seconds passed.  
   
  _“I know… I just, wanted to spend time with you.”_  
   
 Oikawa felt the butterflies and he shivered with a smile on his face.  
   
 To everyone who knew him, Oikawa was confident, funny, smart, and a go-getter kind of person. But people who were close to him, the few there were… Sugawara, Ushijima, Saeko, and… and maybe Iwaizumi… they knew it. They knew his confidence was fake, forced, something he mustered before he did something. Or perhaps it wasn’t confidence. He was confident, but he wasn’t secure. He needed that reassurance. He constantly needed it.  
   
  _“There’s not a damn thing wrong with needing it, either,”_ whispered Sugawara one time when they were cuddling.  
   
 Suga. Suga understood.  
   
 Oikawa sat on the train as it began to move.  
   
 Oikawa Tooru was the kind of person with dozens of fans, but he always wondered if anyone actually liked him. Did anyone really want him around? He was loud, obnoxious, always trying to do something silly, to make someone laugh, so he could feel some sense of worth. So he could shut out his feelings. It really wasn’t until he met Suga that he understood what security was. Suga, who had been all over him. Suga, who really didn’t have anyone else either. Suga, who was his rock and his sea. Suga was stability.  
   
 And romance was chaos.  
   
 Oikawa always exaggerated how many people he had dated.  
   
 He had two girlfriends. One was before he came out, and he just dated her because that’s what popular boys were supposed to do. When he broke down and told her he was gay, she seemed a little surprised but… she wasn’t _that_ surprised. She understood, told him the dates were fun, even if they never had that connection. They stayed friends after that.  
   
 Good friends.  
   
 Kiyoko really was a good friend to him, in more ways than one.  
   
 Then, his other ‘girlfriend’, was something curious. He knew he was gay, so he kept this relationship secret from others (even from Suga, but Oikawa always figured he caught on). A girl who, now graduated, was a year older than him. “Girl” wasn’t really the right word for her. Saeko Tanaka had told him she had never felt much like a woman, not like a man either, but she just wasn’t picky about the whole thing. Saeko had interested him beyond the gender barrier, but in the end they wanted different things. Saeko was wild, didn’t really want to ‘settle down’ (as settled down as teenagers could get) with just one person.  
   
 Oikawa admired her, though.  
   
 He started walking home.  
   
 Even as they let each other go, they knew they would remain friends.  
   
 And they did.  
   
 His boyfriends were, more or less, similar.  
   
 But none of them made him really feel a hundred percent secure.  
   
 Not one.  
   
  _“I know… I just, wanted to spend time with you.”_  
   
 How easy it was to say, and yet none of them thought to say it. Maybe it wasn’t meant to be said, but just an implicit understanding. Maybe Oikawa was too insecure for something under the covers. Maybe he wanted it said out loud, screamed at the top of the mountains.  
   
  _“I know… I just, wanted to spend time with you.”_  
   
 He got to his home, and he checked his phone.  
   
  _[Iwaizumi Hajime, 4:42pm] Hey. My dad’s heading out tomorrow, want to spend Friday night at my place?_  
   
 Oikawa blinked. Saturday classes were optional, technically, but he always went. Depending on the teacher, the review classes were really useful. Or at least that’s what he told himself. The truth was he just hated being alone, and Suga went so he went.  
   
  _[Oikawa Tooru, 4:44pm] one sec_  
   
 Oikawa changed his contacts and texted someone else:  
   
  _[Oikawa Tooru, 4:45pm] yo dumb bitch. Can we resched for Sunday?  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 4:48pm] Sure.  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 4:48pm] love you!  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 4:49pm] Uhuh. Choke on a dick.  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 4:49pm] LOL  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 4:50pm]  <3  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 4:51pm] Kiss kiss!  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 4:51pm] *Happy train noise*_  
   
 Oikawa switched contacts again.  
   
  _[Oikawa Tooru, 4:53pm] sure thing! I’ll bring my super cute jammies. And chips! And pretty much everything.  
   
 [Iwaizumi Hajime, 5:07pm] Awesome. Also, my dad likes your nail polish.  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 5:10pm] of course he does its perfect and I’m perfect  
   
 [Iwaizumi Hajime, 5:11pm] Yeah, you’re adorable alright. Can’t wait to kiss you again._  
   
 Oikawa stared at the text, reading it again and again.  
   
  _[Iwaizumi Hajime, 5:12pm] Sorry, was that weird?  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 5:12pm] No! Sorry, just put my phone down for a sec. It was really cute. I wanna kiss you aaaaalll over too, Iwa-chan!  
   
 [Iwaizumi Hajime, 5:13pm] That’s not what I said in the slightest.  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 5:13pm] well yes but I no you wanna!  
   
 [Iwaizumi Hajime, 5:14pm] Just a little._  
   
 Oikawa grinned.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Fox twisted his body, agility truly unparalleled. He flipped over a beast and landed on another. When a third lunged at him, he jumped, watching two of them destroy each other. But his ears twitched. Flyers. He hated flyers. Two large, massive bats zoomed at him. He readied his hands and bit his lip. He twirled, red lines searing from his nails in a protective vortex. The bats crashed into the burning wheel and evaporated into dust.  
   
 Fox landed with a huff and readied himself.  
   
 He had a long, fluffy orange-red tail, same orange-red fox ears with black pointed tips. His costume was fairly simple.  
   
 When two large rhino-like monsters charged, he slipped between them and slashed them to shreds.  
   
 Fox wiped his forehead, flicking off his sweat.  
   
 From afar, but not too far, Iwaizumi watched. He had been watching for a while. Fox was an amateur, that much was obvious, but he was fighting with an intent to improve. He was analysing his enemy, which always made a difference between those that lived and those that didn’t. He seemed to be getting better with every strike. Iwaizumi cocked his head, knowing the difference between them wasn’t something that would be crossed with ease, but he figured if Fox kept it up… maybe.  
   
 When Fox scrambled his hands in inefficient swipes, Iwaizumi shot black swords down, killing the little ones with ease.  
   
 Fox paused and looked over his shoulders.  
   
 “Spread your fingers.”  
   
 “Huh?”  
   
 “Differentiate your attacks. If you spread your fingers, you have a wider range. It helps for the little ones. If you’re focusing on a big one, trying to take it down quickly, it’s better to keep your fingers together for a deeper slash.”  
   
 Fox stared at him and then raised his hand. He looked at his palm and flicks of ashes burned around his nails.  
   
 Another one charged.  
   
 Fox dropped to the ground, catching himself on one hand and spun. It only took a second, but he blasted forward, striking a deep one slash along the beast’s side.  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled. “See?”  
   
 “Yeah.” Fox got up and looked at his hand. “Nice…” He eyed Iwaizumi. “So, you’re the new guy, huh?”  
   
 “You heard about me?”  
   
 “Mhm.” Fox offered him a smile. The horizontal mask he wore blasted wind to blur his face for recognition, but most facial expressions could still be read. “Skirt told me about you. We’re just trying to find out if you’re a bad guy or not.”  
   
 “A bad guy?”  
   
 “We get ‘em from time to time, you know? People who try to steal the Sector, or like messing up the rhythms of Light and Dark.” Behind him, a bat flew at him. Fox didn’t flinch as his tail swiped and killed it. “The easiest targets are the upcoming Sectors.”  
   
 “Fair enough.” Iwaizumi shrugged. “But I’m not a bad guy in that sense. I don’t care for the Sectin… that doesn’t mean I’m here to fuck anything up.”  
   
 “You don’t care for ‘em? Why?”  
   
 “Most people don’t.”  
   
 “Huh?”  
   
 Iwaizumi frowned. “How long have you know about the Dark?”  
   
 “Silly name,” muttered Fox. “Um. A couple years? Like one and a half, maybe? I’ve been with Skirt the whole time! He’s really cool!”  
   
 “Hm.” Iwaizumi stared. “Well, most people hate the Sectin.”  
   
 “Eh? Why?”  
   
 “Because they’re a group about order.”  
   
 “Order?”  
   
 “They’re the ones who police the world. And people don’t like ‘em. They’re an order, a group, they put themselves in power, and they deal with things as they see fit. You ever meet anyone from Sectin? They’re strong, aren’t they?”  
   
 “Oh yeah. Mega powerful super strong!”  
   
 “Yeah. They could wipe the floor with Skirt or myself. So, think about it this way: If they’re so strong, why aren’t they cleaning up the streets instead of us?”  
   
 Fox paused, tilting his head. He bit his lip.  
   
 “Don’t get me wrong, though.” Iwaizumi turned and shot two blades out, killing two more flyers. “The Sectin are the good guys. They keep the balance between Light and Dark stable around the world. If that balance breaks, we’re done for. But they want weaker people doing this work, the donkey work, so they can swoop in whenever they want. They change what needs to be done. We’re just puppets to them. If we get too strong, too weak, they’ll step in. We’re like the ends of telescopes, we have to change to suit their vision.”  
   
 “But, yeah… but it’s, it’s for the safety of the spectrum.”  
   
 “Yeah. I guess.”  
   
 Two large lizards crashed on the rooftop next to them.  
   
 Fox sprinted and leapt in the air, crashing down on one.  
   
 Iwaizumi shot blades upwards and they soon rained down, piercing its legs to hold it still. A quick flick of the wrist and a deep slash brought it down. “But if this is a free world, kid, I don’t want to play by the rules of someone else’s game. That’s all.”  
   
 “Hm.” Fox stilled for a moment, lost in thought, before he raised his back. “You’re probably really lonely or something.”  
   
 Iwaizumi frowned. “What?”  
   
 “You’re kind of… really sad, as a person, I mean. Like you’re really sad to look at. I mean, I don’t know, I’m not the smartest person around—I know that—but we always play by someone else’s rules. Even if it’s like, sports, or something, anything… there’s always rules. I mean, for normal crimes there’s the police. Murder is illegal. Even science and shit has laws, too, right?”  
   
 Iwaizumi swallowed hard.  
   
 “I don’t know about you… but I like the idea of a Sector. Just, imagine, having a team of five – or more – five people you know you can really rely on. And knowing they’ll rely on you! It’s better to fight when you’re with a team. After all, I…” Fox smiled. “Skirt saved me from myself. So I’ve got his back, until the end.”  
   
 “Whatever. Stupid ideologist.” Iwaizumi scoffed, feigning superiority. “Tell me, what would happen if you were to leave?”  
   
 “Leave?”  
   
 “How old are you?”  
   
 “None of your business!”  
   
 “Fair enough…” Iwaizumi guessed he was in middle school, maybe late-middle school, from his height. “What if you wanted to study abroad? Transfer program. What if your job asked you to go somewhere else? What if your family moved? You’ll have to leave your Sector, your team. Life’s going to ask a lot from you, and even if you want that ‘team’ of yours to work… It’ll be temporary. Tell me, if you had to choose between something like advancing your life or keeping your family together, compared to your team… which would you chose? Could you put Skirt in danger – have no one guarding his back – just so you could chase your dream. Being in a team is a commitment, and it’s more than just a book club or playing sports. People die every day because they fight the Dark, and they’re treated as missing people all the time. Joining that team is chaining you down, kid.”  
   
 Fox was quiet, too quiet.  
   
 Iwaizumi wondered if he had gone too far. Maybe he had. “You know what I think?”  
   
 Fox tried to reply, but had to clear his throat before he could ask, “What?”  
   
 “The people who rule the Sectors get paid. Sectin pays them, to keep them stable. It’s a job, kid. There’s money – dirty money – trading hands. If you don’t know what you want to do with your life, then maybe it’ll look appealing to you. But if you’ve got a dream, a future, or if you think you might find one along the way… I have goals in life. I can’t chain myself down to a Sector if it keeps me back. It’s just about commitment. And I’m not willing to commit. And there’s no way in hell I want to commit to the Sectins. Even if they’re the ‘good guys’ in keeping the spectrum stable, preventing the reversal, they’re not nice guys.”  
   
 Fox cocked his head and Iwaizumi thought he was raising one eyebrow behind that mask of his. “So what?” He put his hands on his hips and his tail did a swish swish. “I don’t care about that crap. Maybe for people like me that don’t have a future, or maybe I just don’t know what I want yet, maybe it’s the best choice.”  
   
 “And what happens when you find something you want to pursue?”  
   
 “Well…”  
   
 “What happens if you find a dream worth chasing? Will you want to be chained down then?”  
   
 “Maybe, though.”  
   
 “Huh?”  
   
 Fox chuckled. “That’s the thing about a Sector. It’s not one or two of us. It’s not just me who’ll have Skirt’s back. You need at least five people. That means we’ll be a team, together. We’ll find a way to make it work, all of us.”  
   
 “We’ll see how long that team lasts,” Iwaizumi said, noting the flick of white in the corner of his sight. “Because—” Iwaizumi leapt up, dodging a blast of photon.  
   
 Fox got into battle mode, but then paused.  
   
 Skirt had rifle in hand, small trail of white smoke coming from the barrel. “Now, now. If you don’t want to sit at the cool table with Fox and I, that’s more than fine… but you don’t need to start trash talking us, either.”  
   
 Iwaizumi bit his lip. “Fair enough… but that’s a pretty gun you got there.” He opened his hands and larger blades appeared. He gripped them and smiled. “Maybe I’ll rip it apart.”  
   
 “Oh?” Skirt seemed amused. He gave his hips a playful shake and summoned his chainsaw in his other hand. He aimed the rifle at Iwaizumi. “This’ll be fun, now won’t it?”  
   
 As the two of them got ready, Fox threw himself in between, arms open wide.  
   
 “Fox!”  
   
 “It’s my fault. I brought it up!”  
   
 Skirt sighed, letting his weapons disappear. “You’re too soft.”  
   
 “Yeah…” Fox turned around to Iwaizumi. “If you don’t want a Sector, that’s fine. But we do.”  
   
 “Hm.” Iwaizumi let his owns weapons fade. “I won’t be here long enough for it to matter.”  
   
 “Yeah, I got that.” Fox was smiling now. “But if you ever change your mind…”  
   
 Skirt’s sigh cut him off.  
   
 Iwaizumi was about to reply, but a new sound caught their focus.  
   
 It was a scream, a roar, as if someone had opened the gates of hell and let every monster scream in a blood-curdling unison. Even behind their masks, they knew each one of them suddenly went pale.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Akaashi closed his book with a snap. He looked out the window to the storm outside.  
   
 Bokuto ran to the window too. “Whoa!”  
   
 Kenma was sitting on the couch, several steps away, but he was also watching the way the Dark began to convulse and fuse. He had his legs crossed, hands in his lap. Nobody needed to tell them that a big one was coming. “The balance between Light and Dark may break, here and now… I wonder what Skirt will do.” He cocked his head to the side and wondered, _Is Tooru strong enough?_


	6. Rage

 Oikawa was snapped out of his daze by Hinata practically screeching, _“What the hell is that thing!?”_ Oikawa blinked once, twice, and stared. He had seen horrors before, dreamt of them too often, but even he had to swallow hard, avert his eyes. His hands, shaking, clutched his weapons and he forced himself to take a deep, deep breath.  
   
 Behind his horizontal mask, Hinata’s face had paled. “Tooru!”  
   
 “Skirt,” he corrected. “Don’t call me that near the enemy.”  
   
 “But Blade’s gone!”  
   
 Oikawa glanced to the side. “Where’d he go?”  
   
 “Um. To fight that… thing.” Hinata gulped. “We’re not going to, you know, fight it—are we?”  
   
 “Of course we are!” Oikawa raised his rifle and rested it on his shoulder. Oikawa couldn’t help but think that if it wasn’t for the big monster in the middle of the city, it would be a quiet night. The sun had long been gone, the night sky a beautiful dark blue, the lights of a busy city all around them, gentle breeze washing over them. Oikawa walked to the edge of the rooftop. “We have people to protect, don’t we?”  
   
 Hinata’s shaking stopped. He nodded, firmly. “That’s right.”  
   
 “It’ll be your first time fighting such a big one, huh?”  
   
 “Y-Yeah! But I’m not scared!” Hinata began punching the air in front of him. “I’ll give it a good one-two!”  
   
 “Just a tip for success: Try to be very aware of everything. See the little things flailing on its skin? It can spawn tentacles and God knows what else. It’ll try to hit you from behind. Narrow your focus—even for only a second—and there’s nothing anyone can do to save you.”  
   
 Hinata’s punches slowed down until he stopped. “O-Okay.” He gulped. “I’m… scared.”  
   
 “Don’t be,” Oikawa said honestly, “I’m here, aren’t I?”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Iwaizumi was several blocks ahead. He had been going through tunnels of shadow, hopping from one rooftop to the next, eyeing the city below for any little ones that could creep up behind him. There were none. Odd. Iwaizumi stopped a few blocks from the monster and took a moment to analyse it.  
   
 At a glance, Iwaizumi’s first thought was ‘eel’. He could have easily thought ‘snake’ or ‘worm’, but his mind instantly went ‘eel’. It wasn’t quite right but he didn’t care too much. It was a long monster, easily filling up the entire street. It had no eyes, but it had a large, circular mouth. When it turned, Iwaizumi noted that the inside of its mouth was _filled_ to the brim with teeth. It didn’t look like it had a jaw, or any muscles to move the endless rings of teeth, so Iwaizumi had a flash thought of being raked by columns of teeth.  
   
 He winced.  
   
 Of course Iwaizumi was too small to feel those teeth against him. Iwaizumi, himself, was probably smaller than just _one_ of those teeth.  
   
 The massive monster crashed into buildings, slid over cars, splattered streetlights and signs.  
   
 Iwaizumi thought of the people that were being killed by the second—they wouldn’t even know that they were dead before it happened. The Dark were invisible to regular humans. Only if you could see them, could they see you. To regular humans, they would be unsuspecting. They would notice cracks on windows, or potholes on the streets from the smaller ones, and then probably blame kids nowadays with skateboards or the government or something.  
   
 Nobody ever thought massive invisible forces were possible.  
   
 Iwaizumi snapped his attention back to the monster.  
   
 Unlike worms, its body was smooth skin with little studs. Tentacles ripped out here and there, but for the most part it—  
   
 A beam of white, foamy light shot through the air, exploding in a brilliance of colours as it hit the side of the monster, knocking it over. The monster screeched and turned to face where the light had come from.  
   
 Iwaizumi looked as well.  
   
 Skirt.  
   
  _Skirt._  
   
 Several more shots were fired and then the monster began to charge. Iwaizumi watched as, in the distance, Skirt fired and pulled back. He fired, and then pulled back. _He’s luring it away?_ Iwaizumi wondered.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Oikawa kept firing, but the snake was gaining on him. “You’re not supposed to be _that_ fast!” He leapt into the air and charged his shot. Twisting his body to face the headless snake—he fired. Another beam of white blasted out, but the snake turned its body, letting it hit its side instead of inside its mouth. “Jerk!” He landed on the street and glared.  
   
 The snake paused for a moment.  
   
 Oikawa blinked, wondering if it was stunned?  
   
 But as the snake moved back, it reminded him of a cat. The way cats got back, ready to—“Oh shit!”— _pounce._  
   
 The snake lunged with such speed that Oikawa couldn’t react. People often talk about fight or flight, but they always forgot that sometimes the body just freezes. Oikawa was powerless as he stared in horror.  
   
 Before the headless snake could get him, though, something (someone) crashed into him. If it hadn’t been for that blur of black armour catching him at the last second, he would have been devoured.  
   
 “Are you okay?” Blade asked, innocently. He was holding him bridal style.  
   
 Oikawa’s cheeks flushed, clothes rippling in the wind. “Put me down!”  
   
 Blade landed paces away and let go.  
   
 Oikawa turned and slapped him across the face. “Don’t do that!”  
   
 Blade touched his cheek and whispered an ‘ow’.  
   
 “What the hell are you doing here?”  
   
 Blade scoffed. “Besides saving your life?”  
   
 “Yes. Besides that, um.” Oikawa huffed before grumbling, “Thank you…”  
   
 “You’re welcome.” Blade smiled and turned to the snake that seemed confused that there was no one to chase. “I can’t exactly sleep comfortable at night with this thing out.”  
   
 “Well you should have just left it to me!”  
   
 “Yeah, that was working great when I got here.”  
   
 “Well, shut up!”  
   
 Blade stared at him. “Are you saying I can’t help?”  
   
 “The more the merrier.” Oikawa readied his weapons. “I’m luring him to the pit.”  
   
 “The pit?”  
   
 “There’s a small natural park, government protected, that’s about a block. It’s surrounded by big office buildings. From an aerial view, it looks like a pit. It’s a pretty safe place to fight the Dark if you don’t want civilians involved. Just follow me.” Oikawa leapt into the air again, soaring higher than any human should. He flipped in the air and rained his bullets down.  
   
 The headless snake roared.  
   
 “Yeah, yeah, I know. This way!”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Luring him into the pit was the easy part, as far as Iwaizumi was concerned. He stayed on the rooftops, leaving the pulling to Skirt. Skirt had better ranged attacks than he did. He kept an eye on him, though, in case Skirt slipped up again.  
   
 The pit was as Skirt described. It was a large open space surrounded by buildings; although it was beautiful, there weren’t many people.  
   
 When the headless snake entered the pit, Skirt landed in front of him.  
   
 Iwaizumi joined him and readied his weapons. “It’s an ugly thing.”  
   
 Skirt scoffed. “Oh yeah.”  
   
 With a flicker of fire, Fox joined them. “Wow, you guys finally agree on something.”  
   
 “Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Skirt rested his gun on his shoulder. “Let’s fuck this thing up.”  
   
 Fox nodded.  
   
 Skirt ran forward and leapt up. From Iwaizumi’s viewpoint on the ground, it looked like he soared higher than the moon and the stars. The rain of photon blasted down, puncturing little holes in the studded flesh of the beast.  
   
 Fox moved as well, running around the beast and lunging in the air, spreading his fingers and cutting five deep red slashes.  
   
 Iwaizumi stayed back at first, summoning swords all around him. With a deep breath, he thrust his hand forward, shooting hordes of weapons at the beast’s front. While the headless snake was distracted by the madness, Iwaizumi crossed the distance and also jumped in the air. He summoned an especially large blade that even he had trouble maneuvering with two hands. Still, when gravity took hold, and he swung, he managed to rip and break flesh so deep that litres of black fluid blasted out.  
   
 The snake screamed. Tentacles ripped out of its body, short ones, long ones, thick and thin, some smooth, others studded and spiked—they exploded out of its skin and began dancing mad.  
   
 Skirt dismissed his rifle and held his chainsaw with two hands. He was high in the air, above the beast. “You remind me of kids in middle school,” he whispered gently before shouting—“Just get a fucking haircut!” He spun as he dropped, the roar of his chainsaw was overtaken by the bursting of tentacles as he spun and spun, slicing them off.  
   
 Iwaziumi backed off when the tentacles grabbed him. He jumped back and stuck to ranged attacks, letting his blades fire from afar.  
   
 Fox, however, wasn’t doing as good. When a tentacle grabbed his right arm, he screamed. “Let go!” With his left hand, he tried to pull his arm back—but another tentacle grabbed that. When two more twirled around his legs, he yelped.  
   
 A large tentacle broke out of the surface with a spiked head. It raised up and threw itself downwards, right onto Fox.  
   
 Fox turned away, screaming. He didn’t see the globes of water that swirled and exploded—the spheres of water that saved him.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Tsukishima wore a blood red robe tied together with a black sash, his mask was equipped horizontally, and in his hand was a _shakujō_ —a monk staff. It was a staff with a golden headpiece carrying six rings, three on each side, representing the six perfections of Buddhist faith. When he moved it to the side, it made a hollow jingle noise.  
   
 Hinata was on the floor, behind him, curled up in the fetal position. When he heard the noise of the staff, he opened his eyes and looked up. “Tsuki,” he whispered.  
   
 “Well well!” Oikawa’s much louder voice boomed through the open space as he landed. “Guess who decided to show up!”  
   
 Behind his mask which hung in front of his face, Tsukishima adjusted his glasses by pushing his middle finger against the center part. He didn’t bother giving them a reply, he just sneered at the ugly monster. “Waters of purification,” his voice resounded as he smacked the rings against his hand, “Wash away this filthy shit.” He pointed his staff to the monster and the earth rumbled beneath their feet.  
   
 Hinata got up just in time as waves of water flowed along the ground, as if the city was flooded.  
   
 Tsukishima frowned. “That should slow it down… but it’s still far from dying.”  
   
 Oikawa nodded. “I appreciate it.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 During the reunion of sorts, Iwaizumi focused on his ranged attacks. If he could cut off more of the tentacles, then he could move close and cut deeper into the things flesh. It was when the water rushed beneath his feet that he looked away. He knew, right away, that this was purification water—the same from the shrine, he didn’t doubt—and he looked for the source. Seeing Fox, Skirt, and the new guy all together, he made his way over. “Friend of yours?”  
   
 The new guy looked up. “It’s bigger than I thought.”  
   
 “Yeah.” Skirt frowned. “It’s going to take all of us to take it down.”  
   
 “It’s weak spot should be its mouth,” Iwaizumi offered, “Since it’s trying pretty hard to protect it.” He glanced over to Skirt. Knowing it was a job for ranged attacks… “Your gun’s got a pretty big bang. Think you can power it up for one shot?”  
   
 “Well, yes, but not as much as needed.” Skirt smacked the new guy’s shoulder (despite protest). “With Staff here, it shouldn’t be a problem.”  
   
 The new guy, Staff, nodded.  
   
 “But!” Fox bounced up and down. “The problem is the tentacles, and the teeth—and everything!”  
   
 “Yes.” Skirt looked at it. “We’ll need to wear it down first.”  
   
 The headless snake began to move again and roared.  
   
 “Well,” Skirt said in a laugh. “Looks like it’s done resting!”  
   
 What happened next… was chaos. Iwaizumi circled the beast as he fired his blades, stabbing it from all sides. Fox lunged and slashed, tearing it from side to side; although he had become wary, it didn’t deter him—he decided if he used speed instead of power he wouldn’t get caught. Skirt’s blasts of photon were proving to be the most effective, but his chainsaw also made noticeable gashes and cleared away tentacles like a lawnmower. Staff stayed back and stuck to magic, launching orbs of water to burn the flesh of the beast, as well as heal any wounds his allies had.  
   
 When the beast began to slow down, Iwaizumi lunged at it. He ran along the skin, a blade in each hand, swirling and slashing. His moves were practiced, the points of impact were sharp and critical.  
   
 Tentacles broke out all around him and struck at him.  
   
 But Iwaizumi dodged, backflipping over the attack, landing, and then twirling his body to slice the tentacle that tried to get him.  
   
 Iwaizumi also used this as time to gather information.  
   
 Fox was a beginner, but he was pretty good. Fire elemental. He only had physical attacks, and only melee ones as well. He lacked ranged and magic attacks; and, on top of that, he was inexperienced. But he seemed to have a strong battle sense, natural intuition. There was a certain heightened awareness that made warriors.  
   
 Staff was no beginner, but he was a bit out of practice. Water elemental. Staff was a glass cannon. He could dish out plenty of attacks and tear the world apart, but he was frail. That’s why he stayed back. He figured Staff was one of the shrine maids, or whatever, but that didn’t matter. He was only using ranged, magical attacks as far as Iwaizumi saw—but Iwaizumi also noticed the sharp spear point at the top of his staff. If push came to shove, he figured Staff would be able to go melee or physical, though he’d be a bit rusty. Iwaizumi could tell from the lack of accuracy in his spells (but the spheres of water exploded like an acid bomb, so it wasn’t a problem).  
   
 It was when tentacles shot out, aiming for Staff that Fox intervened, grabbing his robe and pulling him out of harm’s way.  
   
 Iwaizumi cut the tentacles and went back to fighting. A larger tentacle broke free and Iwaizumi was about to slash it when a blast of light erased its existence.  
   
 “Sorry, did I take your kill, love?” Skirt asked innocently as he landed with a foot on Iwaizumi’s back. He hopped off, doing a front flip as he yelled, “Ciao!”  
   
 “Asshole!”  
   
 Skirt was a clear cut above the rest, though.  
   
 Skirt bloomed with both natural talent and heavy experience. Light elemental. Although his ranged attacks were stronger, his close-ranged ones were just as dangerous. He had a strong mix of magical and physical attacks. He interweaved different skills and talents so naturally, so fluidly. He always had an attack for the next situation. Whether it was with his gun or his chainsaw, it didn’t matter. Battling Skirt wasn’t going to be fun.  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled though.  
   
 Iwaizumi had the natural advantage.  
   
 Although skill and power also had to come into the equation, the elements worked in a triangle—like rock-paper-scissors. Light was good against natural elements (fire, water, ice, and so on), natural elements were good against darkness, and darkness was good against light. So if Iwaizumi (darkness) and Skirt (light) fought, Iwaizumi would have the natural advantage.  
   
 When the beast roared, Iwaizumi felt a chill run down his neck.  
   
 The monster raised its head straight up and began screeching, louder, louder, rising in volume until it hit the one point where sound became force. A blast wave erupted around the snake, sending trees and cars flying, ripping up telephone poles and shattering benches.  
   
 Iwaizumi was thrown aside, smashing against the ground and rolling until he stabbed his blade into the asphalt of the sidewalk, keeping himself in place.  
   
 The blast wave hit its own highpoint.  
   
 Cars flew over Iwaizumi and he looked up just in time to see one heading for him.  
   
 “Hey!” Fox yelled as he grabbed him, pulling him aside just in time to dodge.  
   
 “Thanks!” Iwaizumi yelled.  
   
 The scream ended and more tentacles ripped out all over its body.  
   
 “It’s getting sluggish,” muttered Fox.  
   
 “Huh.” Iwaizumi blinked. “Maybe it reminds me of a slug.”  
   
 “What?”  
   
 “Nothing. Let’s go.”  
   
 “Yeah.” Fox charged and jumped high, way too high, and slashed right down its body.  
   
 Iwaizumi followed. “I’m not going to be outdone.” He also leapt high and summoned the massive blade. He used both hands and tore deeper into Fox’ wound, cutting all the way down. “Skirt! Now!”  
   
 “Oy, don’t tell me what to do!” Skirt twirled and fired more shots. “Staff!”  
   
 Staff nodded. “I’m ready!”  
   
 Skirt landed on the ground and began charging at Iwaizumi. Iwaizumi stared, stupefied for a second. When Skirt jumped, he raised both his knees, as if he was going to kick him. Iwaizumi brought a normal blade to block. Skirt landed on the blade and gave a little peace sign. “Give me a boost, would ya?”  
   
 “Asshole!” Iwaizumi threw Skirt as high as he could.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Oikawa shot up into the sky, higher than all the unnecessarily tall business buildings around him. Several tentacles shot up to get him, but Hinata took care of them. When Oikawa was at his highest point he aimed his rifle straight up. Rings of water appeared around him and tightened around his gun. Six rings, for the six perfects. Or whatever. Oikawa didn’t know anything about Buddhism but he was hella perfect so maybe he was just perfect times six.  
   
 He didn’t know why he was thinking of that now. Truth was he had never been happy with himself, but as he told Suga— _Fake it until you make it, Kou-chan!_  
   
 “I’m a perfect motherfucker,” he muttered.  
   
 The water began to glow.  
   
 He aimed his gun down. His gun already had a line of glowing blue that ran along its side, but now the entire gun was glowing bright ultramarine. “You won’t terrorise my city, asshole.” He thought of his Koushi and Iwa-chan and everyone else that could have been harmed here, today. “You couldn’t even start shit before we took you down!”  
   
  _Thanks to Blade, though… it would have taken almost twice as long without him._  
   
 He pulled the trigger and a beam of brilliant blue blinding water pierced downwards. As the bullet moved down, it was like the sun itself, but all went dark when it moved inside the beast’s open mouth. It was only half a second before it exploded. The city burst into prismatic rays of colours, with the beast’s flesh only becoming black spots of dust that disappeared in the light.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Fox was breathing heavy when his legs buckled and his knees gave out. Iwaizumi caught him. “Easy there.”  
   
 “Yeah.” Fox took a deep breath and leaned on him. “Thanks.”  
   
 “It’s fine.”  
   
 “We did it.”  
   
 Iwaizumi nodded and looked up. He instantly frowned. “Who is that?”  
   
 Fox looked up as well. “Huh?”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Hanging in the sky, still as the clouds in the background, was a figure with a mask. His wings were stretched outwards, white wings. His hair matched. He wore a cross-shaped mask. It looked like a horizontal and a vertical mask were fused together.  
   
 Oikawa’s butterfly wings were letting him glide down slowly. He eyed the figure. He had heard of the cross-shaped mask, but he didn’t think they were real.  
   
 The winged unknown smiled. “Choirs,” was all he said. Behind him two dots of light formed. Slowly, the dots became a curved line, and the curved line became a ring of light. The ring was hollow, but soon it was solid gold. It broke apart, in the middle, like a gate, and when it fully opened—  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes widened.  
   
 Beams of light fired at him.  
   
 It was photon—the same as his rifle—but different. Oikawa held his wings against himself and let himself fall downwards. The light chased him and he growled. Doing a backflip his wings widened and disconnected from his back. “Shield!” The wings warped into a purple-blue barrier. The light slammed against the shield, sending heavy ripples through its coloured surface, but they could not penetrate.  
   
 Blade summoned blades and aimed them at the winged figure.  
   
 Hinata readied his claws.  
   
 Oikawa landed on the ground and readied his rifle. “Hm.” He flicked something on his rifle and the line of bright blue changed to bright red.  
   
 Blade turned to him. “What’s that?”  
   
 “My special attack.”  
   
 “Special?”  
   
 “Like a combo finisher.”  
   
 Blade scowled. “This isn’t some video game.”  
   
 “I know that—but it’s good to have something up my sleeve. Everyone should have something.”  
   
 But the winged figure interrupted them with a laugh. “There’s no need. I won’t be here long.”  
   
 Tsukishima joined them, staff in hand. “Who are you?”  
   
 “Angel,” he said simply. “Or that’s my codename at least.” His wings drifted closer to his body and he crossed his arms, eyeing them. “You’re all stronger than I thought. Guess I’ll have to hit you harder next time.”  
   
 Oikawa stiffened. “You mean, you can control the Dark?”  
   
 “Of course I can.” With a flick, his wings burst open and he disappeared in a flash of light.  
   
 Blade scowled. “Who the fuck was that?”  
   
 “I don’t know.” Oikawa looked away.  
   
 “You’re not much in control of your Sector, are you?”  
   
 “People show up all the time.” He flicked something on his rifle and it went from red to blue. “But for someone to be able to control the Dark…”  
   
 Tsukishima huffed. “Such a large creature couldn’t have appeared so suddenly if this was a natural event.”  
   
 “Yeah,” Hinata added, “That.”  
   
 “He wanted us to see him, too.” Oikawa nodded. “Looks like we got a little troublemaker in my Sector. So, listen to me, Blade. If he means trouble, we’ll take him out. You’re welcome to give us a hand if you want, but don’t worry. You can go run home now.”  
   
 Blade stared at him for a moment before shaking his head. He turned away and sunk into the darkness.  
   
 Oikawa removed his mask and felt a breeze on his face.  
   
 Tsukishima tilted his head. “You okay?”  
   
 “Mm.” Oikawa looked up. “His hair colour it was, white. Grey.”  
   
 “Masks distort appearance,” Tsuki muttered. “If it’s a cross-shaped mask, maybe it does it even more.”  
   
 “Hm. Maybe, but… I just. Given his body size, the only person I can think of is…”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Iwaizumi didn’t head home right away. Which is probably why he felt the barrel of Skirt’s rifle against the back of his head.  
   
 Skirt’s voice was sing-song as he said, “Ah, ah, ah. And what are you doing here?”  
   
 Iwaizumi swallowed hard. “Following someone.”  
   
 They both looked down.  
   
 Sugawara Koushi was wearing one of Oikawa’s hoodies as he was walking below. Maybe walking home?  
   
 Skirt smiled. “Do you know him?”  
   
 “No,” Iwaizumi lied. “But his description matches, and he’s out late. It’s a logical conclusion.” He paused. “Do you know him?”  
   
 “No. But I couldn’t help follow you. Those portals of yours are awfully hard to follow… but you’re right.” There was a change in his voice, it was no longer the happy amused tone. “He does look a lot like… Angel, was it?”  
   
 “Yeah.” Iwaizumi cocked his head away. “So what are you waiting for?”  
   
 Skirt dismissed his gun and jumped down. He landed on the railing and began walking side by side with Suga, eyeing him.  
   
 Iwaizumi sighed and jumped down as well, standing several paces away, but right in front of him. “If he doesn’t have a connection to the world of Light and Dark, he can’t see us. He can’t feel us. He can’t hear us. Of course, if he’s just pretending…”  
   
 But Suga walked right through Iwaizumi, blurring Iwaizumi’s image for a moment.  
   
 Iwaizumi hid his relief and did his best to sound disappointed when he said, “Not him.” He left after that, not seeing how Skirt’s entire body relaxed at once and he crumpled to the ground.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Night turned to day.  
   
 Oikawa didn’t show up for class on Friday.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
  _[Iwaizumi Hajime, 11:15am] Everything okay? Are we still on for a sleepover at my place tonight? If you’re not feeling well, we don’t have to.  
   
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 2:32pm] Omg Iwa-chan I know im like 3hrs late but im okay!  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 2:32pm] My alarm didn’t go off and i’ve been sleeping this whole time LOL  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 2:33pm] We’re still on tho!! Don’t worry *kisskiss*  
   
 [Iwaizumi Hajime, 2:49pm] Great. I got handouts and notes for you.  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 2:51pm] *KISSKISS*  <3_  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
  _Ding dong._  
   
 The door opened.  
   
 Oikawa smiled. “Hi.” He wore a thin pale pink hoodie and black shorts.  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled back. “Hey.” He was still wearing his uniform for school.  
   
 Oikawa closed his eyes and sniffed the air. “Something smells good!”  
   
 “I made dinner.”  
   
 “Iwa-chan!” He hugged Iwaizumi hard enough that they stumbled into the house. He kissed Iwaizumi’s cheek and then nuzzled it.  
   
 Iwaizumi stared, feeling both fluttery and nervous. “What’s wrong?”  
   
 “Nothing’s _wrong_ ,” Oikawa said as he kicked the door closed behind him. “I just missed you.”  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled and hugged him back. “It’s only been a day.”  
   
 “Yeah, I know… but I’ve got a lot on my mind and you make me feel like I’m home and you made me dinner and that… was really sweet of you.” He pulled away a bit and then pushed their foreheads together. “I’m just, happy. I don’t know. When I’m with you I feel… It’s like, you’re an anchor, and you’re going to keep me stable.”  
   
 “I’m an anchor? So you can throw me to the bottom of the ocean?”  
   
 “Well the bottom of _my ocean_ is _wet_ when I’m around something of yours that’s as _hard_ as an anchor and—”  
   
 “Tooru.”  
   
 “Sorry.” Oikawa giggled, actually giggled, and then kissed him. Despite Oikawa’s jokes and laughs, the kiss was serious, slow, sensual. They moved carefully, as if sudden movements would break the contact. Oikawa pulled away and rested his forehead against Iwaizumi’s again. “Good.”  
   
 “Good?”  
   
 “I just feel, good, when I’m with you.” Oikawa closed his eyes, shutting the world out. “I just feel like, when I’m with you, everything in the world is going to be okay.” He didn’t get a reply, so he opened his eyes.  
   
 Iwaizumi’s face was hot, cheeks were flushed; he knew he was blushing and it was awful.  
   
 The sight made Oikawa smile. “You’re cute, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “Just, um. Shut up.”


	7. Grind

 Iwaizumi had been making dinner. Nothing too fancy. He had quite a few pots and pans out, but nothing that required especial amounts of work or anything specific. In one pan he had four smaller fillets of fish grilling. He turned them over and the scent of lemon and herbs filled the air. He put the spatula down and grabbed the ladle; he stirred a pot that had clear broth soup keeping warm. It was on low heat, but bubbles formed around the edges. His mind was elsewhere, thinking of Skirt, thinking of the battle he had been in… That winged, masked figure. That…  
   
 Iwaizumi frowned.  
   
 He knew, for a fact, that whoever that was – they were toying with them. They brought forth a creature of great devastation; and, yet, after the four of them were exhausted from taking it down… Angel didn’t attack.  
   
 Why?  
   
 What purpose was there?  
   
 A timer’s shrill resounded through the kitchen.  
   
 Iwaizumi sighed. He walked over to the teapot and opened the lid. He pulled out the tea bag and put it aside. He was careful not to over steep; over steeping made it bitter. Personally, Iwaizumi never minded it (even liked it), but Oikawa was probably a bit too much of a flower for anything bitter. Iwaizumi’s lips tugged upwards into a small smile.  
   
 Oikawa.  
   
 Oikawa Tooru.  
   
 Tooru.  
   
 He knew he was smiling a bit too much, maybe like an idiot.  
   
 Iwaizumi moved to the table, setting things up. There was some pickled ginger (store bought), the bright pink kind, as well as a cucumber salad (also store bought).  
   
 The doorbell rang.  
   
 Iwaizumi washed his hands and then walked over to the door. He opened it and looked at Oikawa, who looked well rested. He wore a thin pale pink hoodie and black shorts. And he was fucking cute as fuck. Iwaizumi stared for a moment.  
   
 Oikawa smiled. “Hi.”  
   
 Iwaizumi couldn’t help but smile back. “Hey.”  
   
 Oikawa closed his eyes and sniffed the air. “Something smells good!”  
   
 “I made dinner.”  
   
 “Iwa-chan!” He hugged Iwaizumi hard enough that they stumbled into the house. He kissed Iwaizumi’s cheek and then nuzzled it.  
   
 Iwaizumi stared, feeling both fluttery and nervous. “What’s wrong?”  
   
 “Nothing’s _wrong_ ,” Oikawa said as he kicked the door closed behind him. “I just missed you.”  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled and hugged him back. “It’s only been a day.”  
   
 “Yeah, I know… but I’ve got a lot on my mind and you make me feel like I’m home and you made me dinner and that… was really sweet of you.” He pulled away a bit and then pushed their foreheads together. “I’m just, happy. I don’t know. When I’m with you I feel… It’s like, you’re an anchor, and you’re going to keep me stable.”  
   
 “I’m an anchor? So you can throw me to the bottom of the ocean?”  
   
 “Well the bottom of _my ocean_ is _wet_ when I’m around something of yours that’s as _hard_ as an anchor and—”  
   
 “Tooru.”  
   
 “Sorry.” Oikawa giggled, actually giggled, and then kissed him. Despite Oikawa’s jokes and laughs, the kiss was serious, slow, sensual. They moved carefully, as if sudden movements would break the contact. Oikawa pulled away and rested his forehead against Iwaizumi’s again. “Good.”  
   
 “Good?”  
   
 “I just feel, good, when I’m with you.” Oikawa closed his eyes, shutting the world out. “I just feel like, when I’m with you, everything in the world is going to be okay.” He didn’t get a reply, so he opened his eyes.  
   
 Iwaizumi’s face was hot, cheeks were flushed; he knew he was blushing and it was awful.  
   
 The sight made Oikawa smile. “You’re cute, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “Just, um. Shut up.”  
   
 “You can try to sound more convincing.”  
   
  _“Shut up.”_  
   
 Oikawa’s smile grew. “You know you’re sexy when you order me around like that.”  
   
 “Didn’t I say shut up?”  
   
 Oikawa laughed, and his laugh made Iwaizumi’s heart feel all light and fluttery, like a little butterfly without worry.  
   
 Iwaizumi didn’t enjoy nor appreciate the vulnerability it made him feel, but that didn’t matter. He moved to the kitchen and Oikawa followed. Everything was laid out, as he left it, but he still needed to serve the fish and the soup.  
   
 While he busied himself, Oikawa looked around the kitchen and took a seat. “Wow, Iwa-chan!”  
   
 “Give me another minute, make yourself at home.” He put some plates down and his eyes flicked to Oikawa. “If you’re going to make some dumb comment: Don’t.”  
   
 Oikawa nodded, happily humming a song to hide his need to giggle. He clasped his hands together. “You’re like a housewife, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “What the fuck did I just say?”  
   
 “Don’t?”  
   
 “Yeah.”  
   
 “Oops!”  
   
 “Stop talking.”  
   
 “But, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 Iwaizumi snorted. He put down the last plates and sat across from his boyfriend (his boyfriend, he thought that over for a second, liking the way it sounded). The meal was made of many smaller plates. The grilled fish was wild cod, caught that morning. He had let it rest in some lemon and herbs; and, now grilled, it had a lovely aroma. It was deboned and filleted, meaning it no longer resembled the whole fish. Iwaizumi preferred it when the fish looked like a fish while it cooked (it gave better flavours, textures), but he also knew Oikawa was squeamish when he saw fish heads and the body.  
   
 Or at least that was how he was.  
   
 It was possible Oikawa had changed, but Oikawa was Oikawa.  
   
 A brat, a flower, a prince.  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled to himself. “Eat up,” he muttered.  
   
 The soup was a clear broth soup. He used an instant dashi stock, chopped some tofu—then realised he didn’t have as much tofu as he thought—so he added some matsutake mushrooms. They were woody mushrooms, having flavours and scents reminiscent of pine. With some chopped green onions as garnish, he added some sake, mirin, and soy sauce (as well as some spices).  
   
 The cucumber salad was, as was mentioned, store bought. The cucumber was sliced thin, tossed with some sesame seeds, and some kind of white salad dressing.  
   
 There were also two bowls of rice.  
   
 Oikawa grabbed his chopsticks and looked around. “Wow, Hajime,” there was not even tease in his voice, “You put a lot of effort into this.”  
   
 Iwaizumi slurped his soup, mostly as an excuse not to reply right away. Oikawa, being sincere. He wondered if that was a first in all of mankind’s history. He put his soup down. “Yeah. I don’t know if it’s any good, but I made food.”  
   
 “There’s a lot of food too!”  
   
 “We can put it in the fridge if we don’t finish.”  
   
 “Iwa-chan, you’re a housewife.”  
   
 “Didn’t I say shut up?”  
   
 “Many times now. If I had a yen for every time…”  
   
 Iwaizumi smirked and broke off a piece of his fillet with his chopsticks. “Don’t let it get cold.”  
   
 “Right!”  
   
 And so they descended into silence. Chopsticks hitting bowls and plates and occasional happy squeals of Oikawa was all that could be heard for several minutes. The fish was a perfect mix of soft on the inside and flaky on the outside, the soup light and refreshing, the salad had a nice crisp to it, the rice was filling, and the pickled ginger added colour and helped make each new bite better.  
   
 “Iwaizumi Hajime. We should get married.”  
   
 “Oikawa, we had… one half of a date. And a sleepover.”  
   
 “Plenty of people get married after one sleepover: It’s called what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.”  
   
 “Tooru.”  
   
 “Yeah?”  
   
 “Don’t talk until your food’s done.”  
   
 “Okay!”  
   
 And so they ate, again the same sounds resounded.  
   
 Iwaizumi looked up at one point. “Do you want another fillet of fish? I’ve got two more. One you, one me.”  
   
 Oikawa put his chopsticks down, grabbed the plate and offered it. “I could half one.”  
   
 “Alright.” Iwaizumi grabbed their plates.  
   
 Oikawa watched him walk towards the stove. “You know, your nail polish looks good. The chopsticks help bring out their colour.”  
   
 Iwaizumi walked over and handed him a plate. “You are so annoying.”  
   
 Oikawa kicked his shin.  
   
 “Ow!”  
   
 “ ‘You’re so annoying’,” Oikawa imitated Iwaizumi’s voice and forced back a smile as he huffed. “Is that any way to talk to the cutest, most perfect boy at school? You’re lucky I am even dating you. I could just drop you, you know!”  
   
 Iwaizumi took his seat. “Fine.” He snorted. “Go for it.”  
   
 Oikawa grabbed his chopsticks and began nibbling on the end of the plastic tip.  
   
 Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow. “You’re quiet now?”  
   
 “Shut up!” Oikawa nibbled harder. “I’ve never had anyone call me out on my bluff…”  
   
 Iwaizumi snickered, looking away.  
   
 “I said shut up; I’m, I’m thinking… okay?”  
   
 “Thinking… of what?”  
   
 “Of a good response! I’ve gotta think of one.”  
   
 Iwaizumi broke off another piece of his fish. “That’s going to take a long while with that pretty little air head of yours.”  
   
 Oikawa paused. “Did you just call me pretty?”  
   
 “Is that what you’re going to focus on? Really?”  
   
 “Of course, you gotta focus on the compliments. Haven’t you heard? It’s called positive thinking; but I guess someone who is Mr. Grumpy-chan like you wouldn’t know anything about that, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “Oh my God. Shut up.”  
   
 Oikawa cackled, and even Iwaizumi (though he would deny it) laughed.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “Entertain me.”  
   
 After dinner Oikawa offered to help with the dishes. Iwaizumi refused, but that didn’t mean anything. They washed the dishes together, and when they were done Oikawa said his line:  
   
 “Entertain me.”  
   
 Iwaizumi glanced to him. “How?”  
   
 Oikawa put the last plate away and shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe we could order some strippers or something.”  
   
 “Order?” Iwaizumi repeated, eyebrows knitted together. “What the fuck are they, Tooru, pizza?”  
   
 “Ohhh, wait, what if we order strippers, then we order them to order pizza, and then they can eat the pizza, and that’s like how we pay for our strippers – the pizza! – so then we won’t have to pay them.”  
   
 “But then we’d have to pay for the pizza.”  
   
 “It’s okay!” Oikawa walked around Iwaizumi and hugged him from behind, nuzzling his ear and jaw. “We’ll get pizza out of it!”  
   
 “Hmmm.” Iwaizumi thought about it for a second; then, as if struck by lightning, he shook Oikawa off. “Why am I even entertaining your stupid ideas? Moron.”  
   
 Oikawa burst into a giggle fit and covered his face with his hands. “You’re so fucking cute!”  
   
 “Shut up!”  
   
 “Cute!”  
   
 “Shut the fuck up!” Iwaizumi huffed and walked away; he walked down the hall and threw his door open. He figured Oikawa was right behind him, and when he felt two arms around him he smirked. Of course Oikawa was.  
   
 “Oooo.” Oikawa looked around. “So this is your room?” He broke away from Iwaizumi, spun around once, and then jumped on the bed. He rolled over, onto his back, and lifted his knees. “Nice bed.”  
   
 “Off.”  
   
 “What?”  
   
 “Get off.”  
   
 “But Iwa-chan, I’m claiming my territory.”  
   
 “Your territory, huh?”  
   
 Oikawa spread his knees apart and wiggled his hips. “You’re gonna fuck me on this bed, Hajime. Right now.”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s throat tightened, mouth dry. He tried to speak, but he blushed and huffed.  
   
 “I’m kidding, Hajime!” He sat up and opened his arms, like a child asking for a hug.  
   
 It was far too adorable to be legal, as far as Iwaizumi was concerned. He sighed and walked over, crawling onto the bed. He pulled Oikawa into a hug, ignoring the happy noise Oikawa made (“Hugs from you are the best,”) and rolled over, so he was on his back with Oikawa resting on his chest.  
   
 Oikawa had his eyes closed, smiling like an idiot. He rested his chin on Iwaizumi’s chest and laughed.  
   
 “What the hell are you giggling about?”  
   
 “Nothing!” Oikawa’s legs were in the air, moving back and forth. “I’m just happy.” He opened his eyes. “Actually, just… really happy.”  
   
 “Okay.” Iwaizumi swallowed hard, not knowing what else to say. He hugged Oikawa tight. “You’re a loser.” When Oikawa laughed, Iwaizumi smiled. He pulled him up and laid on his side. He did not know when he started playing with Oikawa’s hair, but he noticed after a while Oikawa was wiggling around less when Iwaizumi did it, so he kept it up. He kissed the side of Oikawa’s head and closed his eyes, just leaning into everything that was his boyfriend (boyfriend; he still wasn’t able to get over it).  
   
 Oikawa was warm and funny, and loud and quiet, and amazing.  
   
 But the weirdest part was Oikawa wanted to spend time with _him._  
   
  _“Well, then… This is your home. Here.” Oikawa put a hand on Iwaizumi’s chest, feeling his heartbeat against his fingertips. “With me.”_  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Oikawa being a bit of a trickster was not much of a surprise. He lay with Iwaizumi for a while, but eventually it was too much. Iwaizumi smelled nice, like aftershave, and sea salt. He never thought those two things would be such a nice combination, but they went well together. Aftershave confused him for a while. Iwaizumi didn’t exactly have a stubble he needed to shave recently (and Oikawa would know considering how much he’d spent just looking at that face), but then he remembered some of the more manly body washes mirrored that scent. Oikawa was a boy, but he couldn’t deny he wasn’t exactly masculine. Sure, loads of trans guys were, some weren’t, and that was that. Oikawa was pretty feminine for a guy; he hated it, at first, until he realised Suga was a lot like him.  
   
 Suga was feminine too. Not overflowing with lady-like characters, but he liked his skin soft and he wanted to buy scarves and look cute, look… fuckable.  
   
  _”You and I, Kou-chan, we’re bottom bitches and we gotta stick together.”_  
   
 Oikawa had said that as a joke, once, and both of them laughed — loud. But they laughed because it was true.  
   
 Not everyone fell into roles of tops and bottoms (in fact, most didn’t), but some did. Oikawa wasn’t strict about it. If Iwaizumi let him, there was no way he’d turn down _owning_ that ass. And Iwaizumi had a _nice_ ass. But he had his preferences.  
   
 He had his preferences, and he was a trickster.  
   
 It was his usual tactic he used on Suga, but with a new victim each nip — each kiss — sent a shocked thrill through both of them.  
   
 Oikawa started with a kiss against Iwaizumi’s chest, against his shirt. He waited a little while and gave another kiss, right at the collar (still against the shirt). Iwaizumi returned it with a kiss to the top of his head. Nothing too spicy. But that was about to change. He moved up, quickly, kissing a hot, big, wet one against the point where Iwaizumi’s neck and shoulder met.  
   
 Iwaizumi yelped, pulling away.  
   
 Oikawa grinned and dove forward, hitting the same spot with another kiss — except on the other side.  
   
 “Tooru!”  
   
 It was a warning, but a playful one. The kind of authoritative warning that sent a little thrill between Oikawa’s legs. He grinned and rolled away, feeling the soft duvet beneath him. “You don’t want to make out with me, _Ha_ -ji- _me?”_  
   
 Iwaizumi’s eyes widened.  
   
 Oh, oh, _oh_ how Oikawa loved the effect he had on Iwaizumi by using his first name. He was very careful about when he said it. He wanted it to be an occasion that wasn’t unheard of, but still very rare.  
   
 Iwaizumi moved towards him, slipping his arms around his waist, pulling him closer.  
   
 Oikawa slipped his own arms around Iwaizumi’s neck and moved in, rubbing their noses together in an Eskimo kiss.  
   
 Iwaizumi grinned at that. “You’re so…”  
   
 Oikawa raised an eyebrow. “I’m so…?”  
   
 “I don’t know. You’re so… sexy, and hot, and then suddenly you do something cute, and then you say something stupid, and then you do something funny and I just… I don’t know. You’re amazing.”  
   
 Oikawa wanted to give his designated sexy smile (which was pretty much copyrighted), but the corners of his mouth curved upwards too much, lips pulling into too big of a grin. His cheeks felt hot, and he ducked his head. For all his trickster ways, Oikawa felt his knees shiver. If he was standing, they would have gone weak. There was something… addictive, about Iwaizumi’s blunt, honest affection. He wasn’t exactly the type to just say what he was thinking, but when he wanted to compliment — there was no bullshit. Nothing but whatever warmth he was really feeling behind those eyes. “Shut up, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “You shut up.”  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes flicked up. “Make me.”  
   
 Iwaizumi smirked before he dove in, pressing his lips against his own.  
   
 The kiss was unlike their last ones; it was rough, and hot. Iwaizumi put his weight into the kiss, moving over Oikawa, pinning him down.  
   
 Oikawa pulled Iwaizumi closer, licking at the seam between their lips. When he felt Iwaizumi’s tongue against his, he shivered — in the very best way.  
   
 Iwaizumi pushed their bodies against each other, and Oikawa raised his knees, as if to grant him passage. Lips to lips, chest to chest, hips to hips, groin to groin… Oikawa could feel Iwaizumi’s muscled chest and it thrilled him. He moved his hands down, feeling the sides of that six pack. Iwaizumi moved his arms up, putting one hand in Oikawa’s hair, the other around Oikawa’s neck, pillowing his nape with his elbow. It was a strange position, but it didn’t matter.  
   
 All they wanted, in that moment, was each other.  
   
 Their mouths kept moving, tongues against each other, they breathed through their noses, inhaling desperately for air.  
   
 Iwaizumi broke away and kissed Oikawa’s neck.  
   
 Oikawa gasped, loud and sharp. He cupped Iwaizumi’s face and lifted it above him for a second. “Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “What?” snapped Iwaizumi.  
   
 Oikawa grinned. “You’re blushing, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 Iwaizumi brought a hand to his cheek, feeling the temperature. Hot. Fuck.  
   
 “Do I make you nervous, excited? Tell me…”  
   
 “Just shut up.”  
   
 “Come on… tell me…”  
   
 “Yes, okay? You make me feel… a lot of things, damnit.”  
   
 “Iwa-chan’s cute.”  
   
 “Oikawa-chan’s going to shut up.”  
   
 “Call me Toto-chan!”  
   
 “Not a fucking chance.” Iwaizumi pulled away and pretended he wasn’t interested, rolling over.  
   
 Oikawa laughed and began crawling on all fours, slowly making his way over. “Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “What?”  
   
 “Come on…” Oikawa smiled and kissed Iwaizumi’s shoulder. “I won’t tease you, promise.”  
   
 Iwaizumi wanted to ask “Promise?” but he didn’t, since that would be desperate as fuck. Instead, he turned over. He liked Oikawa like this, being teasing, being playful and a little sexual — and being so… open, about it. It was like he had his own sex god, or something. A kind of free zone, where Iwaizumi could think about whatever he wanted (and _damn_ was he thinking about getting between those legs…) and Oikawa wouldn’t judge him for it.  
   
 If Iwaizumi wanted more, Oikawa wouldn’t reject him (most likely just tease him).  
   
 He pushed himself up against Oikawa again, resuming right where they left off. He felt dominant around Oikawa, and it thrilled him. He claimed that mouth, taking it for himself. Oikawa had _no_ complaints. His hands moved down, grabbing Oikawa’s outer thighs and giving them a squeeze.  
   
 Oikawa’s yelp was muffled into the kiss and he raised his knees, rubbing his inner thighs against Iwaizumi’s hips. And, although Oikawa preferred being a bit more submissive… he was still a trickster. He tightened his knees around Iwaizumi’s waist — and flipped them over. On top, now, he moved his mouth away. He put his hands on Iwaizumi’s shoulder; and, like a lion’s pounce, he slammed Iwaizumi down.  
   
 Iwaizumi’s eyes widened, cheeks burning like great fires that consumed cities.  
   
 Oikawa smirked, his sexy smirk, with that subtle yet dangerous curl at the corner of his lips. “I know I promised not to tease…” Oikawa used one finger to run a line down from Iwaizumi’s neck to his chest. “But…”  
   
 Iwaizumi swallowed hard, looking up at all of his sexual fantasies. Oikawa’s grin looked feral, to him. Feral was exciting; feral was dangerous. He felt like he was playing with fire, waiting for the burn, waiting for the burn… Would he survive being burnt alive? The fires raged inside him, in his chest, in his arms, legs. He moved his hands up. Oikawa watched them, thinking they would do something fun, but instead… Instead… Iwaizumi pushed him back, just a little bit. “Can we stop?”  
   
 Oikawa blinked once, twice. Three times. “What’s…?” He stopped for a second, then felt it. It was against his ass.  
   
 Iwaizumi was hard. Very hard.  
   
 “We can stop,” Oikawa’s voice shifted, as if he’s a different person. “What’s wrong? You were enjoying it, right?”  
   
 “A little… too much.”  
   
 Oikawa laughed. “Yes, I can feel your booooner.”  
   
 “Shut up.” Iwaizumi pushes him back, looking away. “Can you get off? Please?”  
   
 It was the ‘please’ that got Oikawa. He got off and lied down next to Iwaizumi. “What’s wrong? Boys are supposed to be sexually promiscuous, you know?”  
   
 “Yeah, whatever, just…”  
   
 Oikawa killed all the tease in his voice. “What’s wrong?”  
   
 Iwaizumi took a deep breath and shook his head. “Nothing, just…”  
   
 “You’re a virgin?”  
   
 “No.”  
   
 Oikawa raised an eyebrow. He couldn’t help the tease returning to his voice, “Really?” his voice was chipper and upbeat.  
   
 “Yeah.”  
   
 “Tell me about it, Iwa-chan!”  
   
 “It was… awkward.”  
   
 The open window let in a breeze.  
   
 Oikawa swallowed hard. “Yeah?”  
   
 “Yeah, it was awkward… and it kind of, fucked up our friendship.” Iwaizumi sighed, turning over to look at him. “I like you, a lot. And I know you wouldn’t… I mean you wouldn’t do it if you didn’t want to, but I just… I don’t want to rush it again, okay? I know you’re different, but I don’t want to risk it. I don’t want to fuck this up. So can we, not do anything like that for a while?”  
   
 Oikawa leaned over, a chaste kiss. “Okay.” He pulled away and there was something swimming in his brown eyes, a flash of light, glint of something. It’s not the shine of mischief, no… It’s darker. “But you… I mean, you do want to… sleep with me, right?”  
   
 “Yeah.”  
   
 “Really?”  
   
 Iwaizumi frowned. “Why wouldn’t I?”  
   
 “Well, I mean…” Oikawa shifted, uncomfortably. Shivers raked down his body, little goosebumps rising up. “Well, um. I mean. The fact I’m, you know… my body is, yeah.”  
   
 Iwaizumi wanted to sigh; they had been through this. But, still, Iwaizumi promised Oikawa that if he was ever worried he could ask. And he would stay true to that. “It doesn’t bother me.”  
   
 “Oh. Okay.” Oikawa breathed a little sigh, closing his eyes and smiling. His eyes opened again, though. “So, can I ask… are you bi?”  
   
 “No, I’m just for guys.”  
   
 Oikawa looked at him, a long moment passing. “Okay,” was all he said.  
   
 Iwaizumi reached over, wanting to move some hair out of his eyes but Oikawa flinched. He paused, moving his hand back. “What?”  
   
 Oikawa swallowed had. “Um… well, I’ve only really, you know, done it with two guys. Both were bi… well, one was pan, but I guess, I mean, you know, I, I don’t really have a dick so if you’re not cool with that… I mean, I…” Oikawa did his best to smile. “I won’t hold it against you or anything. I understand.”  
   
 “I said it doesn’t bother me. I’m cool with it, Tooru.”  
   
 “Yeah? Even though… you don’t like girls?”  
   
 “But… you’re not a girl.”  
   
 Oikawa smiled again, forced again, and he sighed. “I get it, you’re trying to say the ‘right’ thing but I have, you know, what people often call ‘lady bits’; and, statistically, they’re right. I know I’m not a chick, but… My equipment. You know. I know you want to say the right thing, but if it bothers you…”  
   
 Iwaizumi frowned. “Tooru, I don’t even know what the right thing to say is. But if you’re asking if you turn me on, then yes. You turn me the fuck on. Do I get turned on by the thought of having sex with you? Yeah. You just, I don’t know. You’re a guy to me. I’m not trying to say… I don’t even know what I’m trying to say. But you’re hot, and you’re cute, and you’re sexy as fuck… My only problem is you _do_ turn me on and I’m not, totally, ready for that — regardless of what you’ve got down there.”  
   
 Oikawa stared. “Yeah?”  
   
 “Yeah.”  
   
 Oikawa whispered, “Sorry.”  
   
 “Don’t.” Iwaizumi pulled him into a hug. “I don’t know. I’m sure there are some people who wouldn’t be cool with it. But I am. Plus, it’s not like a new thought or anything. You told me like five years ago. I know what you have and I’ve always thought of you as a guy. What else is there?”  
   
 Oikawa smiled; it was strained, but not fake. “I’m sorry.” He nuzzled Iwaizumi’s neck.  
   
 “You piece of shit, didn’t I just tell you not to apologise?”  
   
 Oikawa tried to hold back a laugh, but it came out anyway. He hugged Iwaizumi and closed his eyes. “I… I get, not scared, but a little worried? Whenever I have a new boyfriend? I mean, it usually doesn’t get that far — I’m not usually… as comfortable, as I am. But with a new boyfriend… I never know what they’ll say or whatever…”  
   
 Iwaizumi kissed the side of his head. “But I’m not a new boyfriend. We’ve known each other for a long time.”  
   
 Oikawa smiled. “Yeah… Hajime…”  
   
 “Remember when you told everyone at camp you were going to marry me?”  
   
 Oikawa laughed, louder. He thought back to the memory (welcoming the change of topic) and he nodded. “And I gave you my drawings for the alien anime. God, Iwa-chan, just let my middle school days die.”  
   
 “No way.” Iwaizumi grinned. “I loved those pics… actually…” He pulled away and got out of bed. He walked over to his desk and picked up a couple sheets, waving them. “Still have it!”  
   
 Oikawa sat up and covered his mouth with his hand. “Oh no.”  
   
 “Uhuh.”  
   
 “Burn them.”  
   
 “No fucking way.”  
   
 “Oh God… let me see.” He reached a hand out and Iwaizumi gave him the drawings. Awful. Awful. With eyes that were way too big. Ah, the joys of being eleven and twelve. “These are in pretty good condition… But Jesus these drawings are shitty.”  
   
 “Well, I thought they were awesome.”  
   
 “Yes, but you saw the world in rose-coloured lenses.”  
   
 “Maybe I did.”  
   
 Oikawa looked up, unable to stop the big grin.  
   
 Iwaizumi cupped his face and kissed him gently, a small peck on his lips.  
   
 Oikawa used his hand to wipe off his smile, but it didn’t work. “Shut up, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 But Iwaizumi just took the pictures back, and then sighed. “Papers…”  
   
 “What?”  
   
 “It just, reminds me. We have math homework.”  
   
 “Ugh…”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 After the gruelling hours of homework (which Iwaizumi felt bad, because it was taking him twice the time to work through the math problems — not that Oikawa minded; he liked playing the tutor — and he wasn’t half bad, either), they took their showers. Oikawa went first and when Iwaizumi stepped in, after, he realised his bathroom smelled like Oikawa’s body wash. He wasn’t surprised to see a pink bar of soap next to his own. After cleaning up, he slipped into his pyjamas. He walked into the bedroom, drying his hair rigorously with a towel.  
   
 Oikawa took a second to notice him, but he quickly sprawled out. “I’m taking all the space tonight, Iwa-chan. Go sleep on the couch.”  
   
 Iwaizumi turned around. “Okay.”  
   
 “Wait!” Oikawa pouted. “I was kidding.”  
   
 Iwaizumi walked over to him and kissed the top of his head. “I’m aware. I’m calling your bluffs, you stupid shit.”  
   
 Oikawa laughed and nuzzled Iwaizumi’s chin.  
   
 Iwaizumi scoffed.  
   
 They wound down for bed, putting their phones to charge, and doing whatever else they needed. It was comfortable, Iwaizumi realised, like they had always done this. It reminded him of camp, to be honest, the way curfew was called and everyone did their own thing until they were all ready and all that. When Iwaizumi got on the bed, Oikawa sprawled out again and Iwaizumi chuckled. He flicked the light switch next to his bed, lights flickering out in a flash. The room was dark, but light from the windows helped him see Oikawa’s outline under the sheets. He slipped under and moved closer.  
   
 “I’m going to take all the space, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “Tooru?”  
   
 “Yeah?”  
   
 “Shut the fuck up.” He scooped Oikawa up in a hug and pulled him in. He put Oikawa’s head under his chin, loving the way they ‘fit’.  
   
 Oikawa wiggled. “Wait.” He felt Iwaizumi’s face with his fingers, gently. “Kiss me first.” He pressed their lips together.  
   
 Iwaizumi kissed back, smiling into the kiss.  
   
 “Okay,” Oikawa said as he moved back to his previous position. “I’m good now.”  
   
 “Yeah?”  
   
 “Yeah. Goodnight, Hajime.”  
   
 “Goodnight, Prince.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Warm, warm and gentle. Hours passed by, neither of them waking. They rocked here and there, moving away from time to time, but always finding their way back to one another. Warm, all they could think was that the other was warm. Winter had just ended, and spring was supposed to be the warm up, but the nights were still cold. In their sleep, they felt the little chills on their fingers and toes and noses, and ultimately drifted together again to warm up. They dreamed dreams they wouldn’t remember as hours passed.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Together they were warm through the cold night; and, as the sun rose and the city heated up, warm changed names to hot. It was fire and electricity between them. Iwaizumi, in his daze, barely registered that he’d woken with morning wood, hard and stiff. Oikawa’s scent had filled the dreams he didn’t remember, though it wasn’t too hard to guess who they were about. Without realising, he began rocking against Oikawa, the little thrills of touch and pressure urging him on. His nose was in Oikawa’s hair, breathing in the smell of his shampoo.  
   
 Oikawa, half-asleep, opened his legs just a bit, so Iwaizumi could grind his crotch against his. His own body, unknowingly, was equally returning the slow movements. Mmm, it felt _good_. Oikawa kept his eyes closed, not aware enough to realise it wasn’t a dream. As Iwaizumi rocked against him, he let out a little noise. It was warm, hot, heavy… too hot, too hot. He tugged his shirt. His buttoned up pyjama top, covered in little aliens, was pulled. The little buttons slipped out of their holes and soon the aliens slipped away.  
   
 Iwaizumi’s hands roamed that bare chest, feeling skin on skin, the smooth body and the light undertones of muscles beneath. If he had been fully conscious, he would have been surprised to see Oikawa was more than just skinny flab; there weren’t nearly as much muscle as his own body, but still more than he expected (or, again, would have if he was aware).  
   
 Oikawa made a cute noise, high pitch little squeak. He tugged at Iwaizumi’s shirt and Iwaizumi raised his arms, allowing him to pull it off. He wasn’t sure if he tossed it away or if it just disappeared, but he pushed his chest against Iwaizumi and skin was against skin.  
   
 Iwaizumi’s grindings were now deeper, heavier thrusts. He moved his head down, kissing Oikawa’s neck. He found Oikawa making noises, sharper ones, when he rubbed a certain way, against a certain spot. If he was awake, he wouldn’t want to admit he didn’t have any experience with Oikawa’s kind of ‘down there’, but he grinded according to Oikawa’s noises, the little moans, the shivers, the gasps… Those noises, he wanted those. He wanted to hear those.  
   
 Oikawa grinding back, feeling the pressure against his cunt, feeling it rock against his entrance and up the folds, an external massage, but a deep one, and it went up to his clit, giving him a tingle and a jolt every time. “Mmmm,” he let out. His mind was hazy, but he kept going. It wasn’t perfect, though. The rifts against his clit were a bit much after a while, so he moved his hand down, slipping it under the waistband of his pyjamas. He took over rubbing his clit, shifting his hips so Iwaizumi’s hard on would rub up and down his cunt. He was wet, and his breathing became heavier.  
   
 Iwaizumi opened his eyes, vision blurry. He closed them and opened again, seeing the sunbeams that made it through his blinds and the way they grazed over Oikawa’s skin, lighting it up in little lines. He kissed Oikawa’s neck, and then his jaw. He put his right hand by Oikawa’s head, left by his shoulder. He moved his head away and rocked against the body, looking at the skin that was a few shades lighter than his own.  
   
 “Mmmm…”  
   
 “I’m…” Iwaizumi closed his eyes. “… going to cum…”  
   
 “On me…”  
   
 “What…?”  
   
 “Cum, on me…” Oikawa’s eyes were still closed, his body rocking against Iwaizumi.  
   
 Iwaizumi would have been hit by realisation; however, the hot, heavy desire was a wall against it. His mind was too heated to think. He tugged his pyjamas down, taking his cock out. He began stroking himself, medium pace at first but soon speeding up. He lowered his head, incidentally putting his lips by Oikawa’s. “Fuck,” he whispered, to himself.  
   
 But Oikawa heard it, the hot sultry voice. He fingered himself and arched his body. They were no longer rocking against each other, but as sweat began to gleam their bodies, their hands moved quick on themselves. Oikawa pushed his hips up and squirmed. “Ah,” he gasped, sharp and sudden. His thighs quivered, his back arched, he let out a few more noises — his body tightened on his fingers; he came.  
   
 Iwaizumi hadn’t seen it, but he heard it. Every noise, like an oasis to his parched mouth. He kissed Oikawa’s shoulder as the sounds reverberated. “Ngh.” He took a breath and threw his head back, raising his spine. Those sounds… He shut his eyes. He gasped. He shot hot white in thick streams.  
   
 And then there was silence; it was silent, save for the heavy breathing.  
   
 When Iwaizumi looked down, seeing Oikawa’s chest covered in his cum.  
   
 Oikawa opened his eyes, at last… looking down at his own chest. And then he looked up.  
   
 Eye contact.  
   
 And with eye contact, realisation.  
   
 All the hot and all the heavy—blasted out. Like hands of cold frost tightening around their necks, they said nothing at first. The little rays of sun continued to make little lines of light, as if nothing had changed. But it had changed.  
   
 Iwaizumi felt strange; he wondered if he should smile or joke, and he was about to but the look in Oikawa’s eyes hardened like a kicked puppy.  
   
 Oikawa felt his breathing stop, felt strange, felt a coil in his stomach, felt a sickness and disease grow inside him. His eyes began to shake and he swallowed hard. “Did… we just?”  
   
 “I… I think so.” Iwaizumi’s dick still limp in his hand, as if laid forgotten. With his other hand, he grabbed some tissues and quickly cleaned them up, feeling Oikawa twitch like a whip’s snap when he wiped him off. He put his length back in his pyjama bottoms, not sure what else to do.  
   
 “Could you…” Oikawa began, but his face became pale. His body tightened. “Just…”  
   
 “Could I, what?”  
   
 “Stop!” Oikawa yelled, “Stop looking at me!”  
   
 Iwaizumi flicked his gaze away. “I’m… sorry. Did I do something wrong?”  
   
 “Yes! No! Just…” _Just…_ He pulled himself away and grabbed his shirt. “Shut up!” He held his shirt over his chest, defensively. “No, you didn’t, but—but…” He pushed himself away. “Stop looking at me…”  
   
 Iwaizumi fixed his eyes against the far wall. “Can I,” he began warily, “Would it, be okay, to turn to you, to give you a kiss?”  
   
 There was a silence, but eventually Oikawa took a breath. “Yeah,” he admitted, “I’d like that.”  
   
 Iwaizumi turned, moving quick to press their lips together. It was a reserved kiss, as if they were in front of their grandparents. Iwaizumi moved his head back, keeping his eyes closed. “I’m sorry.”  
   
 “N-, no. It’s not. It’s not your fault.”  
   
 “I was the one who woke up with a boner.”  
   
 “Morning wood’s normal, not that I would know.”  
   
 Iwaizumi opened his eyes, looking at him. “Is that what you’re upset about?”  
   
 “C-Can we drop it?”  
   
 “I don’t mind your body.”  
   
 Oikawa’s voice was loud, sharp: “I said drop it!”  
   
 Iwaizumi looked away. He sat on the edge of the bed, where he’d be forced to look at the far wall. “I’m sorry.”  
   
 “I…” Oikawa scrunched up the shirt in his hand. “I didn’t mean to yell…”  
   
 “It’s okay. I’m sorry.”  
   
 “I’m… I’m going to have a shower.”  
   
 Iwaizumi knew they had both showered last night, they were both the people who preferred showering before bed, but he didn’t say anything. As Oikawa left (he practically fled the room as fast as he could), Iwaizumi took a deep breath, staying silent. He forced himself up. He changed into his school uniform. He didn’t want this to happen… it was just like last time. _Please,_ he reasoned to no one in particular, _Please don’t let it get weird between us._  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Iwaizumi busied himself with breakfast. When he thought back to camp, there were two things at breakfast meals that made Oikawa’s eyes go heart eyes. The first, simple enough, was omurice—a rice omelet. The second, of course, was milk bread. Iwaizumi didn’t think much of milk bread. It was fluffy, nice, but not exactly highly nutritious and it was a bit heavier than what he was used to. Still, earlier that week when he appeared in Oikawa’s class (had it really only been six days they were reunited?—only six?), everything reminded him of Oikawa. When he saw milk bread at the store, he bought it without thinking. He set some to warm in the oven while he cooked the rest of the meal.  
   
 The rice omelet was easy. He already had leftover rice from yesterday, so he cracked a couple eggs and made quick work of it. When it was done, he cut it in half and transferred it to two different plates. He considered doing something extra cute, like making hearts out of ketchup on it, and then decided against it. Then, because he wasn’t really paying attention, he did draw hearts with the ketchup on the omurice. He was pretty sure that would backfire, but he didn’t care too much. It’s not like things could get worse.  
   
 He also made his staple breakfast item, miso soup. It was a little old fashioned for breakfast, but he made it every morning. It reminded him of his mom. She used to do that too, make miso soup every morning, whenever she had the time, but that was when she was still around. Still, Iwaizumi followed her example. He didn’t have tofu, so he added some of the fish leftovers for the protein. It wasn’t anything special, but he frowned a little. He always preferred it with tofu.  
   
 He had pickled ginger from last night too. He didn’t think Oikawa actually ate much, but it was pretty and pink and added some colour to the table. After all, taste was the weakest human sense. Eyes blindfolded and noses plugged, people couldn’t actually tell the difference between eating apples and onions. People ate with all their senses. Texture was touch, the sizzle was sound, the aesthetic was sight, and flavour was compound of where taste and smell receptors came together in the human brain.  
   
 The final addition to the meal was green tea. And not the cheap teabag stuff, either; Iwaizumi liked the best of the best. His grandparents, as little as he knew of them, had taught him the difference. It was the only thing they did teach him before they croaked. He didn’t know if Oikawa would know the difference, but he would. Somehow the higher quality stuff always made him feel better, and fuck-all knows he would need it.  
   
 Iwaizumi hoped he could cook his way back to Oikawa’s heart.  
   
 He knew it was foolish, though.  
   
 He knew Oikawa wouldn’t want to talk about what happened; he just hoped it wouldn’t create a rift that would grow.  
   
 He heard footsteps in the hall and began putting everything on the table. He saw, out of the corner of his eye, Oikawa walk in with his uniform. He glanced over, admiring the way white and blue seemed so perfect on him. “Hey.”  
   
 Oikawa looked at him, freezing. “Hi…”  
   
 “Um. Food?”  
   
 “Yeah.” He walked in, carefully, as if the table might grab him. He took a seat and looked at the food. “Iwa-chan’s like an old man.”  
   
 “Huh?”  
   
 “You really like the whole, traditional meal thing, huh? Lots of side dishes.”  
   
 “Yeah.” Iwaizumi didn’t want to talk about it, but he figured he might as well talk about something. “I was raised on that, I guess.” He took his own seat, across Oikawa, though he avoided eye contact (and ignored the tight grip his body had on his lungs). “My dad’s not really a fan, so I take care of the cooking. Or took care, since I’m living on my own I guess.”  
   
 “Well I’m not a fan of putting that much effort in, but Iwa-chan this is delicious!”  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled, muttering thanks. He didn’t look up to see what Oikawa was tasting, or his expression, because he didn’t want to see it. Oikawa was like that—pretend nothing’s wrong and nothing is wrong. That was what Oikawa did when people weren’t close enough to know his true thoughts. “My dad’s like that,” he went on, “My mom used to do the cooking, but yeah. My dad’s more the kind of… microwavable dinner kind of guy. And he’s more into cooking the big meals, like a big pot of curry or a stew or something where it’s just one pot.”  
   
 “Well, that’s more modern, isn’t it?”  
   
 “Seems fairly split as far as I know. I know it’s more work for the cook,” he admits, “But I always like having a little bit of a lot of things. A lot of little things.”  
   
 “Microwaveable dinners are more my kind of cooking. And soba.”  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled, looking up to see a small smile on Oikawa’s face. “Yeah, but you’re in high school. He’s a grown man.”  
   
 They kept eating, and Iwaizumi figured this meant things were going good. Oikawa was clearly tense behind his smiles and words—Oikawa could probably keep talking with a gun to his head (that’s just the kind of person he was), but the tension wasn’t entirely invisible.  
   
 Oikawa munched happily on his milk bread. “So, do you usually make yourself the traditional breakfast? I’m more of a ‘shove toast in mouth, late for anime school’ kind of guy.”  
   
 Iwaizumi snorted, he couldn’t help himself, and sighed. “When I have the time, yeah.” He glanced to his empty bowl. “I try to have a miso soup before I leave, or at least throw it in a thermos or a coffee mug or something. That’s probably weird. And green tea.”  
   
 “Old man Iwa-chan.”  
   
 Iwaizumi stared at him.  
   
 Oikawa laughed.  
   
 Iwaizumi rubbed the back of his neck. “My grandparents—I never really knew them—but they were like that too, you know? Eight cups of green tea a day. And they weren’t basic; they didn’t have those tiny teacups either. They had like tea bowls or whatever. I’m not quite sure how much each of them held, but I think they were like… two and a half cups each?”  
   
 “Wow. I personally prefer strawberry milk. I could drink eight cups of that a day no problem.”  
   
 “Store bought or homemade?”  
   
 “Store bought, duh.”  
   
 “Don’t you worry about, I don’t know, preservatives.”  
   
 “I’m like seventeen.”  
   
 “Still!”  
   
 “Iwa-chan. Preservatives are good for you—they help preserve your youth!”  
   
 Iwaizumi stared.  
   
 Oikawa snorted. “I’m kidding! Sheesh, lighten up.”  
   
 Iwaizumi sighed, but smiled.  
   
 When they finished, they put everything in the sink and Oikawa swallowed hard. “Um. About what happened, this morning…”  
   
 Iwaizumi looked at him, nervous glints in his eyes.  
   
 “I’m sorry I kind of, freaked out.”  
   
 “I don’t mind.” He bit his lip. “I mean, like, it’s fine.”  
   
 Oikawa nodded slowly.  
   
 Iwaizumi chewed on his lip.  
   
 “So, um.” Oikawa coughed. “School? Should we leave by now? Are we late?”  
   
 “Uh, no. I live pretty close, so it’s a short walk. We don’t have to leave for a while.”  
   
 “Oh.” Oikawa twiddled his thumbs. “Cool.”  
   
 “Um. Would you be more comfortable to go, without me? I mean. It’s Saturday classes, they’re optional, so I can stay home if you prefer.”  
   
 “N-No, it’s fine.”  
   
 “It… It doesn’t, I mean… It doesn’t have to change anything between us.”  
   
 Oikawa tilted his head.  
   
 Iwaizumi huffed a sigh. “I mean, ugh. Words! I mean, like… I guess sometimes people think once you start doing, I don’t know, sexual things, it’s like a no turning back point? In a relationship? We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. We can just, you know, just go back to how we were.”  
   
 Oikawa wondered if it would be that easy, but the little flicker of hope made his heart beat a little faster. “I’d like that.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 As the two of them walked to school together, Oikawa had his phone in hand. Iwaizumi was curious who he was texting, but knew better than to check. Still, still, he was curious. When he glanced down and saw Suga’s full name he wasn’t that surprised. Of course Oikawa was texting his best friend, but what was he texting about? He shouldn’t, he really shouldn’t, but he had to take a peek.  
   
  _[Oikawa Tooru, 8:11am] We need to talk.  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 8:14am] Did I do something wrong?  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 8:14am] No babe, nothing like that I got some bf problems?? like big ones_  
   
 Iwaizumi looked away at that point. He wanted to keep looking; he so badly wanted to keep looking. But he didn’t. He kept walking to school, doing his best to stay calm. He thought about how, on the first day they reunited, they walked side by side—almost hand in hand; and, now, they had drifted so far away from one another. An entire person could walk between them. They could pretend to be fine, but they were a world apart.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 After Saturday classes, which were half the day, they were let out around lunchtime. Suga had grabbed them both sandwiches from the convenience store and sat down next to Oikawa on the roof. He nudged him a couple times until Oikawa took one of the sandwiches. “What’s wrong, babe?”  
   
 “Um.” Oikawa sighed. He was a little pale, but not as bad as he was that morning (not even close). “So, um. I slept over at Iwaizumi’s place last night?”  
   
 “Yeah?”  
   
 “And…”  
   
 “Did you guys… You guys did it?”  
   
 The loud “No!” was followed by a quiet, “I mean, no.”  
   
 Sugawara looked at him, eyeing him.  
   
 Oikawa took a breath. “Well, we just had an innocent, cute sleepover. It was great, but… I mean, when we woke up… We were both kind of half asleep, and I guess we started… grinding on each other?” He shuddered, remembering the playful heat and how quickly it turned sickly cold. “Like, I don’t know, dry humping? It was… uncomfortable, I think.”  
   
 Sugawara pursed his lips. “Uncomfortable?”  
   
 “No, I mean, like, I was, no. I was enjoying it, actually, but when we were done… and I don’t know. I guess we realised what happened, I just… I freaked out, Koushi. I freaked the fuck out!”  
   
 Sugawara put his arm around him and pulled Oikawa’s head into his neck. “You mean like that time you freaked out with me?”  
   
 “Yeah.” Oikawa shuddered. “I don’t know why I do that! I just, I don’t know.”  
   
 “Did you… not want him want him to do, whatever he did?”  
   
 “I did, I mean I think I did. I just, I don’t know, I want him, like yeah, but…”  
   
 “But?”  
   
 “But! But, we… we talked about sex before, and he’s into dudes—just dudes—but he said I ‘feel like a guy’ to him, so he wouldn’t mind fucking my brains out I guess. Those are my words, not his. He even asked if we could take it slow, and he said he didn’t want to rush it. But, does that make sense? I feel like a guy, so he doesn’t mind my… parts?”  
   
 “Hmm, I… don’t know?”  
   
 “You’re not helpful!”  
   
 “Sorry,” Suga said in a laugh. “But you know me… I’m pansexual… or at least that’s the best way for me to describe myself. I don’t really ‘see’ gender. So I don’t know what he means when he says you feel like a guy.” Suga looked up. “I don’t think I understand what anyone means when they say feel like a guy, or a girl, or whatever. But. I do know something. I haven’t known him very long, but… I don’t think Iwaizumi’s the type of person to say something like that just because he thinks you want to hear it.”  
   
 Oikawa looked up as well, remembering how just yesterday he was melting over how there was something… addictive, about Iwaizumi’s blunt, honest affection.  
   
 “I think,” Suga went on, “If it was a problem for Iwaizumi, he wouldn’t have much of a problem addressing it and being honest with you. Again, I don’t know him as well as you do, so maybe I am wrong, Tooru, but I think he’s just… an honest person.”  
   
 “Maybe…” Oikawa sighed. “I just, I really don’t want to fuck this one up. Not this one.”  
   
 “He’s… really important to you, isn’t he?”  
   
 “Yeah… I owe him a lot.”  
   
 “You still never told me how you two know each other?”  
   
 “I haven’t?” Oikawa blinked. “Well, I guess I probably should.”


	8. Shaky

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to Nikooki for betaing this chapter on short notice! Also, this fic is officially my longest Haikyuu!! fic now and it's only going to get longer!
> 
> * * *

 Iwaizumi was by himself. He could have gone home, since the half-classes had ended today, but he was hungry. The lineup at the cafeteria was a little bit of a turn off, so he went to the student’s store. It was after he bought melon bread, and had a couple bites, that he figured he should just head off. He wanted to see Oikawa, wanted to see those loud jokes and that shy smile, that contradiction of life that was so lifelike it made existing in this world better. He wanted to give Oikawa the world, and it made him angry that he couldn’t.  
   
 But he couldn’t; no, shouldn’t.  
   
 Oikawa obviously wanted space, wanted to get away from him.  
   
 Iwaizumi sighed, taking another large bite of his bread and munched on it angrily. Crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, and comforting all the way through.  
   
 He wanted to make things right again. Could he do that? Oikawa wanted that. He knew that much. But it was weird, awkward, and there was something between them. A river, really. Did they not notice the water level rising? Or did floodgates break all at once, causing the rift, the divide? All Iwaizumi knew was he didn’t want the river to get so wide that it would swallow him whole. And, although Iwaizumi always put his hundred percent into everything he did, there were only a few people that really made him realise what it meant to give it your hundred-and-twenty. Oikawa was one of those people. He remembered, so many years ago now (five? Six?): Oikawa practically shaking, sitting away from the others because he was scared.  
   
 Iwaizumi had walked up to him, ironically, because he wasn’t loud as the others.  
   
 He had no way of knowing that Oikawa Tooru was one of those people who were loud _as fuck_ when they got comfortable. And, as Iwaizumi walked down the hall and looked around the school, it seemed that Oikawa found a place he could be himself.  
   
 A tap on his shoulder.  
   
 Two taps, actually, but they were light touches, gentle ones.  
   
 Iwaizumi turned and swallowed his mouthful of bread.  
   
 “Iwaizumi-san,” Kiyoko said in the same lightness of her touch.  
   
 Iwaizumi stared at her, conflicted interests drowning one another. “Hi.”  
   
 “Let’s talk.” She motioned to the side with her hands, and they began walking. “A storm happened, two days ago… and, a new light appeared as well. ‘Angel’. But he seems to be affiliated with the Dark.”  
   
 Iwaizumi eyed her, noting how she was the quiet type, but not the shy type. She would speak when she needed to, and carried a strange air around her. Iwaizumi opened a door and let her walk first. After she thanked him, he muttered an automatic you’re welcome.  
   
 Kiyoko went on, “Do you have any information about that?”  
   
 “None. I just got here. You?”  
   
 “I am currently gathering data. Nothing… specific. But I have leads.”  
   
 Iwaizumi nodded, but pursed his lips. “So what exactly is your job, Shimizu-san?”  
   
 “Sectin Manager.”  
   
 “What does that mean, exactly? There’s no sector here.”  
   
 Kiyoko paused by her shoe locker and turned to him. “As I said before, Sectin doesn’t interfere with the Light nor the Dark, so long as there is no power shift. Sectin wants balance. With Skirt aiming to turn this area into a sector, the Sectin has me as their eyes. To report. On Skirt’s progress. Should the Light – sorry, to clarify… Should Skirt, Fox, Staff, and Rod – become too strong for the surrounding Dark, I will turn this into a sector, which will attract more Dark, and achieve balance.”  
   
 “And this… Angel guy.” Iwaizumi rubbed his neck. “If he has the power to summon those huge Darks. Like that snake thing…”  
   
 “Then it, may be out of Skirt’s hands.” She adjusted her glasses again. “Fox, Staff, and Rod have all had their fair share of battle experience, but all three of them – combined even – pale to either you or Skirt.”  
   
 “Fox is pretty good, from what I’ve seen anyway.”  
   
 Kiyoko nodded. “A drive to improve often paves the way.”  
   
 “Yeah. So if you’re saying if more Dark come, I should wipe them all out?”  
   
 “The decision is yours, but… If you’re going to live in this city for the next year, or more if you’re planning to attend university here… you should feel at least… somewhat, of a sense of responsibility to this community, to protect it.”  
   
 Iwaizumi took another bite of his bread.  
   
 Kiyoko adjusted her glasses. “When the Dark strikes, people see it either as an illness or an accident, but it will break them. It could be anyone, Iwaizumi-san. It could be me, or it could be you, a teacher here, maybe a student, maybe Tooru.”  
   
 Iwaizumi began chewing angrily, turning the bread into nothing but paste in his mouth.  
   
 Kiyoko stared at him for a long time. “I’m not trying to manipulate you, just trying to help you understand the gravity.”  
   
 After swallowing it, “I understand it damn fine. What about you? I didn’t see you in that fight, I don’t think so anyway. If you care, aren’t you obligated too? Sectins are supposed to uphold the balance—that monster wasn’t natural. How can you tell me that if you don’t fight?”  
   
 Kiyoko’s brows furrowed and her hands clenched into fists. _”I want to,”_ she cut sharp with her words.  
   
 Iwaizumi blinked, feeling small.  
   
 Kiyoko took a deep breath and uncurled her hands. She looked away. “We who tap into the balance of Light and Darkness are granted power. We cannot choose these powers. Whether it’s the control of hundreds of blades or manipulation of purifying waters, we have been given power. But, even so. We can’t choose whether we have a chainsaw, or a scythe, or no weapon at all… so, please.” She straightened her back and looked him in the eye. “I respect your stance, but believe me… nothing is worse than wanting to fight, but having no means of doing so.”  
   
 Iwaizumi swallowed hard. “I’m sorry.”  
   
 “It’s fine.” She pushed up her glasses, yet again, making Iwaizumi wonder if that was a nervous habit of hers. She tucked her black hair behind her ears and adjusted her backpack. “I’ve taken the role to gather information. Angel is an anomaly. And while Sectin’s resources, and how much they can divert, is limited… this city may suffer for as long as Angel is around. It’s your choice. I will pass no judgement. I cannot infer that I understand your disposition, nor your situation. Should you have questions, I assist all Lights in the area.”  
   
 “Noted.”  
   
 Kiyoko nodded, lowering her head to half a bow, before leaving.  
   
 Iwaizumi met her height in a bow and raised his head again. He looked at his uneaten portion of melon bread. He wanted to pretend he didn’t care, but it plagued him: _Angel, who are you?_  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 About twenty minutes later, Oikawa pursed his lips. “How dare he?” He had just come down from his lunch date with Suga and was now standing by the shoe lockers. Seeing Suga’s confused face, Oikawa held up the evidence. “Iwa-chan got me chocolates. Asshole…”  
   
 “That’s actually really cute.”  
   
 “I know, exactly! I explicitly told him, twice, that I’m supposed to be the cuter one in the relationship. At all times. What a horrible person giving me such a thoughtful gift. He’s a loser.” Oikawa stuffed the chocolates in his bag, doing his best to hide his smile. When he looked up, Suga was giving him the signature ‘You’re so full of shit’ look, and Oikawa couldn’t help but chuckle. “Shut up.”  
   
 Suga’s lips tugged into a smile and he adjusted his Aoba Johsai uniform. “He seems to care, Tooru.”  
   
 “He does…” Oikawa sighed. “Believe me, he does. He’s really, really nice.”  
   
 Suga analysed Oikawa’s face for any signs of lies, but he found none. “I’m happy for you. I mean that. The jury’s still out on whether I approve of him or not, but I hope you two work out this problem.”  
   
 “I hope so too, ugh.” Oikawa let out another sigh. “Come on, I need to tell you about how we met, don’t I?”  
   
 “Hell yes you do.”  
   
 Oikawa laughed, leaning over and pecking his cheek. “Come on, let’s go to Owl.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 It was a modest café at the corner of an intersection. With the baristas in the inner corner, the tables and booths were in an L-shape along the windowed walls. The aromas of coffee beans being roasted and desserts being baked all day long were heavy in the air. It was a quieter café, not many students came here. Much of the crowd were older men and women; they came in at the end of the day, usually to have a cup of coffee or tea by themselves.  
   
 They sat at their usual seat, a small little booth by the window. They got cozy. When the waiter came up to them, asking what they wanted, they gave their orders:  
   
 “One soy latté please,” said Suga.  
   
 Oikawa put his hands together. “And one hojicha latté for me!”  
   
 The man nodded and left.  
   
 Suga kicked Oikawa under the table, ignoring the loud ‘Ow!’ and a couple people looking at them. “Come on, it’s been a week now. You barely talked to me.”  
   
 “I told you, demoted until Iwa-chan’s my boyfriend!”  
   
 “Yes, now he’s your boyfriend—”  
   
 “—Sort of—”  
   
 “—and I’m your best friend again.” Suga smiled. “Right?”  
   
 Oikawa huffed a “Right,” and did his best to look angry (and it was such a really shitty attempt that even Oikawa knew it wasn’t working). He moved some of his brown hair out of his eyes. “Okay, okay.” He leaned forward. “I’ll spill the beans.”  
   
 “Finally.”  
   
 “You want to know that bad?”  
   
 “Tsk.” Sugawara gave a mock pout, then cocked his head to the side. “As far as I know, you’ve told me everything. So who is this guy who walks into your life randomly, that you’ve apparently known and have had a crush on since forever, and where has he been and why hasn’t he been around? Of course I’m curious.”  
   
 “Hmm.” Oikawa leaned back. “I guess that makes sense.”  
   
 “I don’t think you ever brought him up before.”  
   
 Oikawa stretched his arms, making a little noise, before putting his elbows on the table and leaning forward again. “Well. It was, before I came out for one. And. I guess it happened around the same time Mom was, well, you know.”  
   
 Suga nodded. “Right.”  
   
 “So it was like, a really great thing, but it happened at such a bad time. And then I never saw him again, so…” Oikawa shrugged. “I probably wouldn’t have told you about it if he wasn’t here.”  
   
 “So how did you meet?”  
   
 “Only if you promise not to make train noises.”  
   
 “I only do those over texts.”  
   
 “I don’t know, maybe you’re going to just walk around with an audiofile of train noises.”  
   
 “Hmm… I should do that…”  
   
 “Don’t you fucking dare, Koushi.”  
   
 Sugawara laughed. “No train noises; go on.”  
   
 “Okay, so… when I was younger, I told my mom I was a boy, right? And she was… well, you met her. But I didn’t want to come out to my school or anything, and I was scared, and I thought I was a freak so I thought they would think I’m a freak. So I was watching some Canadian movie or something, and the kids went to camp… and I got the idea, of like. Going to one of those summer camps, that they have in the west. And, I mean, we don’t have two months off school at the end of the year.”  
   
 “I would just get bored with two months.”  
   
 “Yeah, same. But we do have some kinds of camps and things, right? So I found one that was all-boys, and I had to take a long bus to get there, and it was like a cabin so we slept there and stuff. Basically, no one from school would know me. And it was all boys, and I could be a boy. You know?” Oikawa unconsciously picked up his napkin and began fiddling with it. “And I was really excited. It was going to be the first time I could… really be me. You know? I could just, be me. And I got there and I was excited, for the first bit.”  
   
 Sugawara frowned. “For the first bit?”  
   
 “Um. Well, all the adults knew (my mom called ahead and asked them to be cool about it) but none of the other kids did, and none of the councillors minded or anything like that. But I guess I had… trouble, fitting in? I don’t really know if it was me not fitting in, or if it was me overthinking everything and just too afraid to try. So the first day, at mealtime, I was sitting alone while we ate because I was so scared of talking to anyone… and in comes Hajime.”  
   
 Sugawara smiled, knowing Oikawa had no way of knowing how his eyes sparkled when he said Iwaizumi’s first name.  
   
 Oikawa let go of the napkin and rubbed his shoulder. “Well, he saw me sitting alone, so he came to eat with me.”  
   
 “That’s a pretty cute first meeting.”  
   
 “Oh yeah, tell me about it. It gets cuter. We were eleven? Twelve? I think. I was really shy, and he was… actually he was really sweet, and kind of. Ugh. I guess I could say he took care of me for a bit.”  
   
 A different server came up to them, putting down their two drinks.  
   
 Oikawa, lost in his thought, almost didn’t glance at the server.  
   
 Sugawara took his drink, white-brown caramel coloured. He paused, though. “You okay?”  
   
 Oikawa forced a smile. “Keiji-chan!”  
   
 Akaashi Keiji, a tall man with a slim build and neat black hair, simply muttered “Tooru,” not even giving a nod before he turned and left.  
   
 Sugawara knit his brow. “Who was that?”  
   
 “No one!” Oikawa said, too quickly. “I mean, no one…” He grabbed the spoon of his drink; his was closer to tan than brown. He gave it a swirl with the spoon. “Um. A family friend guy. It’s awkward.”  
   
 Sugawara glanced to where Akaashi had gone, but the man indeed was gone. He frowned, but thought nothing of it. He turned back to Oikawa. “So back to Iwaizumi.”  
   
 “Oh, yeah!” Oikawa perked up again. “He was the one who… I guess, he told me I needed to be confident, and told me to be cool about things. I don’t know. In some ways… I needed reassurance, and he gave it to me. A year later, we were thirteenish, we both went again and we were best friends.”  
   
 Sugawara was eating the foam with his spoon.  
   
 Oikawa smiled, a little sadly, and looked away. “I told you, right? Before high school… I didn’t have a lot of friends. I wasn’t picked on or anything, but everyone saw me as that quiet, well, girl who just read a lot of books and they left me alone. I wasn’t one of those kids who really liked reading or anything like that. I just, I had nothing to do, and they gave me weird looks if I wasn’t doing anything, so I grabbed a couple books and pretended it was fun. Didn’t find out about manga until later. Now _that’s_ fun! But, yeah, back at camp… the place I could be me. It was a place I could be me, but I was so scared I couldn’t be. But with him there… That’s what really let me be me, for the first time in my whole life. I did tell him, at the end, that I was born a girl. He was cool about it. He flat out said it was ‘weird’ but he, I don’t know, even then when he said it… I don’t think he meant it in a bad way? Just kinda like how twelve year olds talk of things that are weird but cool.”  
   
 “That… does sound like something he would say.”  
   
 Oikawa laughed, and so did Suga. “Yeah,” he agreed, “It does.”  
   
 “So you guys met every year then? For two weeks?”  
   
 “Yeah, something like that… and we also slept in each other’s beds.”  
   
 “Wait, what?”  
   
 “Well, futons. He snuck in my futons one night when I told him I couldn’t sleep. Just, kinda happened every night after that. Councillors thought it was funny, but they didn’t stop us.”  
   
 “Huh.” Suga smiled. “No wonder you two were having an innocent sleepover. You guys are used to it, huh?”  
   
 Oikawa’s cheeks flushed red and a big smile formed on his lips. “Yeah, I guess.” (And Suga was sure, then, that a pure honest smile from Oikawa Tooru could kill a man.) “But,” Oikawa went on, “It didn’t last long. When I was fourteen, he didn’t come. I thought he got sick or something.”  
   
 Suga’s smile dimmed, but didn’t leave quite yet.  
   
 “But I don’t know. I don’t think I realised until then, like… What I mean to say is, I talked to others, and made other friends. He helped me with that. I missed him, so much, but I had a lot of fun too. Second year, he didn’t come either, and I totally convinced myself he was dead. They had a computer there, so I Googled his name, found his dad, found out they moved across Japan. Since then, apparently he’s been travelling a lot.”  
   
 “And now, he’s here?”  
   
 “And now,” Oikawa repeated, cupping his latte and feeling the warmth against his fingers, “He’s here.”  
   
 Another patron came into the café, ringing the little bell.  
   
 Oikawa sipped his drink, and Suga did too.  
   
 Oikawa reached in his bag and pulled out the chocolates. “And now the asshole gets me these.” He opened the cover and found little heart-shaped chocolates. “When the hell did he have time to get them?”  
   
 “I don’t know,” admitted Suga, eyebrows up. “That’s adorable, though.”  
   
 “Yeah.”  
   
 Suga tilted his head. “What’s that?” He pointed.  
   
 Oikawa followed the finger to a piece of paper that was taped to the backside of the chocolates, barely sticking out. He put the top back on the chocolates and lifted the box above his head. He nipped the piece of paper off, then put the chocolates down. He opened the paper and instantly his eyes widened, lips pursed, and he looked away. “Jesus.”  
   
 Suga frowned. “What is it?”  
   
 “It’s awful.” He offered the piece of paper and covered his face.  
   
 Sugawara took the paper and blinked.  
   
 It was a drawing of Oikawa and Iwaizumi, stick figures, holding hands with aliens and anime eyes in the background.  
   
 Sugawara burst into laughter, covering his mouth with his hand and shaking his head.  
   
 Oikawa sighed. “Awful, right?”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “Sugacceptance” or “Sugaspection” were loose general terms, coined by Oikawa Tooru himself of course, for Sugawara’s right (as best friend) to say yes or no to Oikawa’s boyfriends. _”I’m not going to ask you to break up with him,”_ said Sugawara two years ago when Oikawa had started dating Akiteru Tsukishima, _”But I have to say no. I think you two might be in it more for the sake of having a relationship than for the sake of each other.”_ And lo and behold, a month later when Akiteru broke up with him, that was exactly how he felt. Not the same words, but Oikawa could see the parallel threads that were woven, the way they ran through their words. Oikawa agreed with him and said it would make it easier if they were just friends. And then they laughed it off.  
   
 And then they laughed it off; it still hurt, a bit, but they moved on.  
   
 Sugawara was pretty strict with his decision. He said no to almost everyone, except Ushijima Wakatoshi. It ended up being a pretty successful relationship, but it ended when Ushijima went to university. It was a nearby university, since Yokohama had many renowned business schools, being a port city, but with all the new changes that were going through their lives, and all the things that were happening, they decided it just wasn’t the right time.  
   
 As for Iwaizumi Hajime… well, the jury was still out on that one.  
   
 Oikawa would convince him, though.  
   
 He had a feeling he would.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “So,” Oikawa yelled as soon as the elevator closed, “Daichi!”  
   
 Sugawara poked the button for the floor they lived on and gave Oikawa a mock glare. “After.”  
   
 “After?”  
   
 “I said after. You’re here now, so you’re helping. We’re setting up our guest room.”  
   
 Oikawa blinked and blinked. “Lev?”  
   
 “Mhm.” The elevator door opened and he walked down the hall. “He’s coming to stay with us… More fights with his parents. He wanted to move out, but they won’t let him.”  
   
 “Well, duh. He’s still pretty young. Younger than we are.”  
   
 “And he comes from the kind of family where his grandparents, from his dad’s side, are still living with them.” He shuffled in his pockets for his keys. “So they’re just kind of shipping him to my mom.”  
   
 “Good for him! So, is he going to stay here for a while?”  
   
 “Yeah.”  
   
 “And you need my help to set up?”  
   
 Sugawara grabbed his keys and then looked at Oikawa. “Please.”  
   
 “Of course.” Oikawa crossed his arms and huffed. “He’s not my little otouto for nothing.”  
   
 “Don’t do that.”  
   
 Oikawa snorted. “Oh come on, I don’t even have cousins like you do. I’m an only child, so let me have him as my little brother!”  
   
 Sugawara shook his head and opened the door. “We’re home,” he called out.  
   
 “Dumbass,” Oikawa teased, “It’s Saturday. They’re at work.”  
   
 “Oh. Right. Hush.” Sugawara smiled as he walked in. “Nobody asked you.”  
   
 Oikawa grinned and closed the door behind him. He threw his bag to the side and ran before he jumped on the couch. He hit the fluffy goodness with a noise and let out a happy sigh of contentedness.  
   
 “Help me set up, Tooru.”  
   
 “In a bit.”  
   
 Suga smiled. “Fine.” He dropped on the couch next to Tooru, lengthwise. It wasn’t big enough for two people to lie down, side by side, but Oikawa scooped him in his arms and Suga nuzzled Oikawa’s neck, making them fit just fine.  
   
   
  _Hanging in the sky, still as the clouds in the background, was a figure with a mask. His wings were stretched outwards, white wings. His hair matched. He wore a cross-shaped mask. It looked like a horizontal and a vertical mask were fused together.  
    
 Oikawa’s butterfly wings were letting him glide down slowly. He eyed the figure. He had heard of the cross-shaped mask, but he didn’t think they were real.  
    
 The winged unknown smiled. “Choirs,” was all he said. Behind him two dots of light formed. Slowly, the dots became a curved line, and the curved line became a ring of light. The ring was hollow, but soon it was solid gold. It broke apart, in the middle, like a gate, and when it fully opened—  
    
 Oikawa’s eyes widened.  
    
 Beams of light fired at him.  
    
 It was photon—the same as his rifle—but different. Oikawa held his wings against himself and let himself fall downwards. The light chased him and he growled. Doing a backflip his wings widened and disconnected from his back. “Shield!” The wings warped into a purple-blue barrier. The light slammed against the shield, sending heavy ripples through its coloured surface, but they could not penetrate._  
   
 Grey hair.  
   
 Angel had grey hair.  
   
  _Blade summoned blades and aimed them at the winged figure.  
    
 Hinata readied his claws.  
    
 Oikawa landed on the ground and readied his rifle. “Hm.” He flicked something on his rifle and the line of bright blue changed to bright red.  
    
 Blade turned to him. “What’s that?”  
    
 “My special attack.”  
    
 “Special?”  
    
 “Like a combo finisher.”  
    
 Blade scowled. “This isn’t some video game.”  
    
 “I know that—but it’s good to have something up my sleeve. Everyone should have something.”  
    
 But the winged figure interrupted them with a laugh. “There’s no need. I won’t be here long.”  
    
 Tsukishima joined them, staff in hand. “Who are you?”  
    
 “Angel,” he said simply. “Or that’s my codename at least.” His wings drifted closer to his body and he crossed his arms, eyeing them. “You’re all stronger than I thought. Guess I’ll have to hit you harder next time.”  
    
 Oikawa stiffened. “You mean, you can control the Dark?”  
    
 “Of course I can.” With a flick, his wings burst open and he disappeared in a flash of light._  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes were unfocused, but he stiffened.  
   
 It couldn’t be, could it?  
   
  _“He’s coming to stay with us… More fights with his parents. He wanted to move out, but they won’t let him.”_  
   
 Lev?  
   
  _A different server came up to them, putting down their two drinks.  
   
 Oikawa, lost in his thought, almost didn’t glance at the server.  
   
 Sugawara took his drink, light caramel covered. He paused, though. “You okay?”  
   
 Oikawa forced a smile. “Keiji-chan!”  
   
 Akaashi Keiji, a tall man with a slim build and neat black hair, simply muttered “Tooru”, not even giving a nod before he turned and left._  
   
   
 “Tooru?”  
   
 Oikawa looked down.  
   
 Suga nuzzled him and looked up at him. “You okay?”  
   
 “Yeah. No. Maybe. I think I’ll be okay though.”  
   
 Suga smiled, kissing his collarbone. “If you need someone to talk to…”  
   
 “You’re my number one, Kou-chan. Don’t worry.”  
   
 Suga smiled. “Come on, let’s set up.”  
   
 “Ugh.”  
   
 They got to work soon enough, grabbing the clean bedsheets and pillowcases and getting all the little things, but even so Oikawa wasn’t smiling at all. Suga had thought it was strange since the thought of Lev visiting always made him happy. Sometimes Suga wondered if Oikawa was jealous of him, him and his functional family. Maybe Lev gave him that comfort, that comfort that other people had it real bad too. That’s what Suga figured, anyway.  
   
  _A different server came up to them, putting down their two drinks.  
   
 Oikawa, lost in his thoughts, almost didn’t glance at the server.  
   
 Sugawara took his drink, light caramel covered. He paused, though. “You okay?”  
   
 Oikawa forced a smile. “Keiji-chan!”  
   
 Akaashi Keiji, a tall man with a slim build and neat black hair, simply muttered “Tooru”, not even giving a nod before he turned and left._  
   
 “Hey.”  
   
 Oikawa looked up.  
   
 Sugawara stared at him, unspoken question hanging in the air.  
   
 “It’s okay.” Oikawa tried to shake the thoughts off. “It’s just been a long week, and I’m just thinking about what happened this morning,” he lied. “I’ll be okay.”  
   
 Suga walked over and pulled him into a hug.  
   
 Oikawa hugged him tight, lowering his head a bit so he could rest his chin on Suga’s shoulder. “Everything will be fine, especially if Kou-chan’s with me.”  
   
 Suga laughed. “Yeah?”  
   
 “Yeah.”  
   
 They spent the rest of the afternoon on the couch, sitting side by side, but leaning against one another. They were watching a couple shows, animes of course. Oikawa got a couple texts from Iwaizumi, here and there, but it was nothing too exciting. Oikawa did his best to push back the thoughts of Angel, Lev, and Akaashi. It hit Oikawa that this was the weekend, technically, and it was Iwaizumi’s first weekend since school started. “Wow it’s only the first week of school,” he muttered before yawning.  
   
 “First week of school and you’re exhausted?”  
   
 “I haven’t gotten into the rhythm of things yet!”  
   
 “Yeah, I know. It’s harsh. And we have homework, and lots of it.”  
   
 “Being in our third year sucks.”  
   
 “Hmmm.” Sugawara sighed. “So, universities…”  
   
 “Oh God.” Oikawa closed his eyes and dove into Suga’s chest to hide. “I haven’t even thought about that yet.”  
   
 Suga chuckled, playing with Oikawa’s hair, doing his usual game of trying to tame it and failing. “We still have time though.”  
   
 “I guess.” Oikawa somehow moved them so they were lying down again, with him resting his head on Suga’s shoulder. “You know, you make a really good teddy bear, Kou-chan.”  
   
 “Thanks Pumpkin.”  
   
 “I bet Daichi—”  
   
 “—No!” Suga jolted upright. “Nope nope nope!”  
   
 Oikawa whined. “Why not?”  
   
 “Shut up!”  
   
 “Kou-chan! We still haven’t talked about your boyfriend troubles!”  
   
 “He’s not my boyfriend!” His cheeks began to warm and he shook his body from side to side. “It’s just boy problems!”  
   
 “Boy that happens to be your friend that you happen to want to make your boyfriend—same thing, dipshit.”  
   
 Suga snorted, then sighed. “Just, don’t use this against me!”  
   
 “Oh come on, everything I do is for your benefit!”  
   
 Sugawara huffed. “Okay…” He lifted his knees and ducked his head down. “I really like him…”  
   
 “Yep, I can tell. Next.”  
   
 “But you don’t!” Suga lifted his head straight up. “He’s warm! Warm, yeah. I don’t know. He’s… got this smile, like the kind of smile that makes you feel like you’re home… and he’s just,” Suga went on as his eyes went out of focus and he began staring at a fixed point of nothing. “His whole, being, I don’t know, he just feels like this safe and warm, and he’s like this caring figure I want to be around, all the time, but…”  
   
 “But…”  
   
 “But… when I’m around him, I get all, nervous and stuff, and it’s like… my throat closes up and I start sweating and… ugh.” He put his hands over his head and closed his eyes. “I just, I’m so afraid I’ll say something _stupid_ , you know?”  
   
 “Awww, Koushi.” Oikawa pulled Suga’s head to his chest, placing his best friend by his heart. “You need to walk around like you own his penis.”  
   
 Suga backed away. “Tooru!”  
   
 “Nope, Kou-chan! This is insightful advice time. Okay, so he might reject you—that’s fair. But so far he seems to really like you, and he seems to want your attention. So, if he likes your extra attention, that’s your cue. Why not just walk up to him like he’s already your boyfriend, ask to make plans, ask him to have lunch with you. Get confident, because confidence is sexy, and ask him to ask you out.”  
   
 “Tooru,” whined Suga. “There’s no way I can do it!”  
   
 “Do it. Do it. Do it.”  
   
 “I can’t!” Suga shook his head forty six and a half times. “I’m not that kind of person. I’m _not_ that confident.”  
   
 “Fake it until you make it!”  
   
 “Tooru.”  
   
 “Fake it until you make it!”  
   
 “Tooru!”  
   
 “Look, just. Do what makes you feel confident! Spend time with your dad. Dress nice. When Monday comes, do whatever it takes.”  
   
 Suga grabbed one of the couch cushions and pushed his face in it, making muffled train noises, before he threw it across the room. “You’re totally right, which bothers me so much. If I want it, I have to go for it.”  
   
 “Yeah. At least enough that he’ll think you’re interested. Worst thing that can happen is you both like each other and don’t date – that’s probably worse than getting rejected and moving on.”  
   
 Suga whined and launched himself at Oikawa, hugging him. “But. I’m. Scared.”  
   
 “It’s okay to be scared, but on Monday…”  
   
 “On Monday I’ll be confident.”  
   
 “Good.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 The thoughts haunted Oikawa, still.  
   
 He knew someone was toying with them.  
   
 It scared him.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Saturday passed and Sunday came. It was Iwaizumi’s only real day off, since he had spent the rest of his Saturday studying (mostly math—curriculum differences were a bitch). After opening some boxes and moving some stuff, he was putting things in his pantry and spice rack when he remembered he should probably buy some groceries.  
   
 The grocery store near him was pretty good, high quality produce and whatnot. Also, being a port city, right on the ocean, the fish were fresh, not previously frozen.  
   
 He was grabbing some apples and oranges when he saw a tuft of brown hair that seemed to be swishing left and right. The hair was an utter, total mess, and yet it must have been orderly since it was in the same shape every day.  
   
 Iwaizumi tossed the apples in his shopping cart and walked over. After a quick scan to make sure nobody was really around, he wrapped his arms around the brunet’s waist and kissed his cheek (which required going on his tippy-toes, but Iwaizumi chose to ignore that).  
   
 Oikawa blinked and looked over his shoulder. “Iwa-chan?”  
   
 “Hey.” A flash of Oikawa yelling at him made him back away a bit.  
   
 “Good, you’re leaving room for Jesus.”  
   
 “What?”  
   
 “Nothing.” Oikawa turned and smiled. He kissed Iwaizumi’s cheek, feeling that heavy flutter.  
   
 Iwaizumi’s cheeks warmed, and he couldn’t help but smile. “What are you doing here?”  
   
 “I’m getting groceries!”  
   
 “You’re pretty far from home,” he pointed out.  
   
 “Not for me, for you.” Oikawa chuckled. “I was going to get you a gift.”  
   
 “You planned on dropping by?”  
   
 “Yeah! If that’s okay? I had to visit a friend of mine around here, my little kouhai – Shouyou, the one with orange hair – and was going to get soba on my way back, then I figured you’d be around, so then I thought I should drop by but I shouldn’t come empty handed, so yeah.”  
   
 Iwaizumi stared at him and he tried to hide his smile. “You didn’t have to get me anything.”  
   
 Oikawa just smiled and held up what was in his hand. “Do you like tomatoes?”  
   
 “Not really.”  
   
 “Oh.” Oikawa threw it over his shoulder. “Well then forget that let’s have a grocery store date.”  
   
 “Grocery store… date?”  
   
 “Why not?”  
   
 Iwaizumi snorted and offered his arm. “Why not,” he repeated, warmth blooming through him.  
   
 Oikawa took his arm and smiled. They began walking through the aisles, picking things up as they went. “You should make me lunch.”  
   
 “Weren’t you going to get soba?”  
   
 “Yeah but your cooking is better. Make me soba.”  
   
 “Do you want it in a soup?”  
   
 “That’s for New Years, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “It’s my new year with you.”  
   
 Oikawa snorted, loud, and covered his nose with his free hand. “Oh my God, you’re a loser, Hajime.”  
   
 “Yeah shut up.” Iwaizumi smiled. “It’s… the only thing I know how to make with soba noodles.”  
   
 “Okay okay, I won’t complain if my boyfriend isn’t flawless, like me.”  
   
 “Uhuh. But I want something in return.”  
   
 “Hm? What’s that? Nudes?”  
   
 “Shut up.”  
   
 Oikawa laughed, carefree, but his hand was a little tight on Iwaizumi’s arm.  
   
 “I just, want help… with math homework.”  
   
 “That I can do.” Oikawa nodded. “I love reminding you I’m smarter.”  
   
 “You’re such a shit.”  
   
 “I know. I know.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Things were okay again, or at least Iwaizumi hoped so. His knees were shaking, mouth was dry, and his eyes kept averting Oikawa’s gaze. Outwards, they seemed to be bantering as usual, maybe a bit more than before, but Iwaizumi couldn’t feel completely comfortable. Things were on ice, thin ice, but there didn’t seem to be too many cracks. As far as Iwaizumi saw, Oikawa seemed to be A-Okay, but he knew it could have been a face.  
   
 Oikawa was the type of person to do that.  
   
 Iwaizumi made lunch, pretending he didn’t pour his heart and soul into it, and served it hot. It was a soup with soba noodles, chopped squid, green onions, bits of tofu, shaved ginger, cabbage, and topped with some nori squares and fish flakes. He put it down in front of Oikawa and looked away. “Here. Eat, you butt.”  
   
 Oikawa looked up from his math book and grinned. “What did you call me?”  
   
 “Nothing.”  
   
 “You just called me a butt, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “Well, yours is very cute.”  
   
 Oikawa laughed. “Loser.”  
   
 “You’re a loser.”  
   
 “Your loser.”  
   
 Iwaizumi leaned over the table, kissing his forehead.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Kenma was in a white bathrobe. It hung loose on his shoulder, a bit too big for his smaller frame. His heating skin flushed pink and prickled against the cold air conditioned air of their downtown penthouse unit. His bare feet walked fluidly along the floor, silent but leaving little traces of moisture that would evaporate within a few seconds. He moved a hand through his two-toned hair as he stepped into the living room. “You let him see you too?”  
   
 Akaashi looked up from the game of chess he was playing (and winning). “Yes.”  
   
 Kenma raised his chin.  
   
 Akaashi shrugged. “I felt he needed a bigger hint. A foreshadow, of sorts, of what’s to come.”  
   
 “Well,” Bokuto’s voice cut in as he moved his knight, taking Akaashi’s queen, “Whether he takes the hint or not is all a matter of luck. Everything’s a matter of luck. Check.”  
   
 Akaashi winced, running his tongue over his lower teeth. He hadn’t seen that. Damn. He moved his king out of the way and glanced to Kenma. “Do you disapprove?”  
   
 “No.” Kenma shook his head. “I was going to do the same, but that would have been too much.”  
   
 Bokuto looked up as well. “So what do you think of the manager? Cute, huh?”  
   
 Kenma cocked his head. “Shimizu Kiyoko?”  
   
 Bokuto grinned. “Yeah.”  
   
 “She takes her job seriously,” answered Akaashi. He analyzed the chess board. “It seems that way anyway.”  
   
 “Hm,” Bokuto hummed in a nod.  
   
 Kenma ignored them, walking over to the large floor-to-ceiling windows. He glanced out. “Hm.” His eyes narrowed. “The clouds are rolling in.”  
   
 Akaashi and Bokuto both paused.  
   
 Kenma shook his head. “It’s not another storm, but I… have a bad feeling.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 It was a sharp scream later that night. Hinata was blasted back; and, with the force, he hit the ground and bounced, rolling along the asphalt until he crashed into a streetlight. He winced. He opened his eyes to see blood running down his left arm. The skin had been charred, burned, and he hiccupped, fighting back a sob.  
   
 Angel descended, as majestic as always. “You really are such a little weakling. I almost feel bad using you.” He raised one of his arms and a ring formed behind him. The gate of light opened and fired a beam.  
   
 But a gunshot intercepted it.  
   
 Oikawa dropped down between them, chainsaw and rifle in hand. His eyes narrowed. “So you’re back.”  
   
 Behind his mask, Angel smiled.  
   
 Oikawa fired several shots.  
   
 Angel opened his wings; and, with a great burst of wind, he moved back, dodging the shots with ease.  
   
 Oikawa pulled the trigger a few more times, just enough to distract his opponent, and he turned around. Butterfly wing bursting from his back, he grabbed Hinata and leapt up. “You okay?”  
   
 “Yeah,” Hinata lied. “He just got the jump on me—that’s all!”  
   
 Oikawa nodded and landed on a building; seeing Angel following them, he snarled. “What the fuck is your problem? What are you after?”  
   
 Angel drifted to the side, just watching.  
   
  _Suga,_ Oikawa thought to himself. _It can’t be Suga… Blade and I made sure of it. But why?_ He saw the long flowing hair, grey, white. _Why do I keep thinking Suga?_ It couldn’t be him (Lev maybe? But Lev wasn’t this coordinated).  
   
 Angel raised his hand, then lowered it.  
   
 As more gates of light opened, firing their beams, Oikawa leapt up into the air, dodging.  
   
 Hinata broke off from Oikawa, jumping off to the side.  
   
 Angel clapped his hands together and dozens of gates appeared behind him. In fixed intervals, half a second, they opened and fired, one after another, raining down pure photon—the quantum of light itself.  
   
 Oikawa dodged, twisting his body as a beam ripped his shirt at his shoulder, just grazing him. He landed on a car, the windshield, and jumped again to avoid another blast. He looked down. The beam of light put the tiniest of cracks on the windshield; but, Oikawa knew, if it touched him—he was done for.  
   
 “Interesting,” Angel muttered, “To rise in elevation, you jump higher. Those wings of yours – very pretty – but useless… you can only hover or glide, not fly. Without wind under your wing…” Angel kept his own wings close to his body and spun. In a flash, he spread his wings wide and they were glowing gold-white. He thrust both his hands forward and dozens, dozens of gates began to open at once.  
   
 Oikawa landed and looked up. Seeing almost forty gates about to open—  
   
 Hinata gasped. “Oi—”  
   
 Swords rained down.  
   
 Blades stacked on each other, creating a wall. And, when the gates of light opened, and fired their beams, they struck the wall—breaking it, but not blasting through it.  
   
 Angel’s eyes narrowed, and then widened.  
   
 From above, Blade swung a large double-handed sword.  
   
 Angel dropped down, the tip of the blade grazing his mask, leaving the tiniest nick of a mark. He gusted his wings, blasting to the side.  
   
 Blade dropped down and looked up.  
   
 Oikawa soon joined him. “Thanks…”  
   
 “You’re welcome.”  
   
 Angel glared. “I knew this sector had you, Skirt… But if there was someone as strong as you,” he said as he pointed to Blade, “It’s rather odd I didn’t hear about it.”  
   
 “Hm.” Blade dismissed his larger blade and created two one-handers. “Well I didn’t hear an ounce about you, either.”  
   
 Angel opened his arms and more gates appeared. “It doesn’t matter.” They fired.  
   
 Blade jumped to the side, while Oikawa jumped straight up.  
   
 But Hinata dove forward.  
   
 Oikawa gasped. “Fox! No!”  
   
 Hinata danced between the beams of light. Kicking off the ground, left and right, dodging them as he moved forward. _Even if those beams travel near the speed of light,_ Hinata thought to himself, _It takes a few seconds for those things to open—as long as I focus on those—_  
   
 Angel appeared behind him and yanked his hair.  
   
 Hinata cried out.  
   
 Gates of light began to open, intent to fire at Hinata.  
   
 Oikawa blasted several shots, deflecting the beams, while Blade fired his swords to destroy the gates before they opened.  
   
 Angel tossed Hinata aside.  
   
 Oikawa dropped in front of Angel and swing his chainsaw vertically upwards.  
   
 Angel shifted his body, letting the spinning blade miss him.  
   
 Oikawa whipped his chainsaw back and forth in wide arcs, covering as much range as he could.  
   
 Angel’s feet never touched the ground as he shifted left and right, avoiding the chainsaw.  
   
 Oikawa twisted his body, throwing his chainsaw arm back and bringing up his rifle. He shot.  
   
 Angel cocked his head, letting the beam slip by.  
   
 Blade moved behind angel and slashed horizontally.  
   
 Angel back flipped over him and hung in the sky above them. “You two are strong.”  
   
 They both frowned, glaring up at their common enemy.  
   
 Angel put his hands together, almost like a prayer, and smiled. The gates were golden circles, but this time they had a red tint. They appeared suddenly, opening up even quicker, and their beams gave ‘speed’ a new definition. They appeared by the dozens, set after set.  
   
 Oikawa did his best to dodge, but several shots hit him.  
   
 Blade was no better; slower than Oikawa, he sustained the crippling burn of more beams (though his armour helped waver some of the pain).  
   
 And then the sky crackled.  
   
 And thunder blasted down.  
   
 Not once, but twice, and then three times.  
   
 Oikawa leapt back. His eyes were wide for he knew this couldn’t have been coincidence. “Fall back!”  
   
 The three of them tried to retreat, but the onslaught of light and lightning barraged down on them, tearing the roads and exploding cars, sending shrapnel flying.  
   
 Hinata kept running, dropping to all fours as he maximised speed. “There’s a dead-end up ahead!”  
   
 Blade looked over his shoulder, sending several swords out as projectiles.  
   
 Angel dodged with ease.  
   
 Oikawa fired his rifle, but kept running. “Shit!” He stopped, realising they were trapped. “We go up!”  
   
 Hinata tried to leap up to the rooftops, but when the light and lightning blasted up top, he twist his trajectory, catching his foot on the wall of the building, and kicked himself back to the ground. “No good!”  
   
 Blade jumped back, dodging a blast of lightning. “Skirt!”  
   
 “I know!” Oikawa called out, firing a shot to change the trajectory of one of Angel’s lights.  
   
 Angel threw his hands up and the gates appeared again, but this time they began to merge into one concentration of light.  
   
 Oikawa gulped. “I don’t like that.”  
   
 The city lights began to flicker. The ground began to shake.  
   
 “Uh oh,” Hinata whispered.  
   
 When Angel opened his wings, the beam that fired was larger than the street itself, and everything sunk into white.  
   
 Oikawa raised his gun, foolishly wondering if he could nick the trajectory enough to save them but—his eyes widened.  
   
 He saw a figure in front of them.  
   
 A body, a person.  
   
 Oikawa whispered, “Akaash—”  
   
 But Blade had yanked both Oikawa and Hinata, pulling them down to the ground where darkness erupted, where darkness consumed them.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Oikawa was choking, screaming. Bloodcurdling noise erupted from his lungs until he saw light again. He was on his back, shaking, shivering, almost having a seizure. He barely recognised Hinata grabbing him, asking what’s wrong, and then yelling at Blade.  
   
 “He’s Light,” explained Blade. “The rift of darkness sent him into shock. He’ll be fine in a second.”  
   
 And, as much as Oikawa wanted to punch Blade’s mask right off for being so dismissive, he knew it was true. Within seconds his breathing was normal and he opened his eyes.  
   
 “Skirt!” yelled Hinata, “Skirt!”  
   
 “Shhh,” whispered Oikawa, pulling him into a hug. He heard footsteps and looked up.  
   
 Along the white marble of the shrine, Tsukishima walked closer. He was wearing casual clothes, a t-shirt with a mosasaurus on it and jeans. He didn’t bother with a mask. He glanced to Blade. “What happened?”  
   
 Blade paused for a moment, but then he spoke: “We had to escape. I used the rift of darkness.”  
   
 With a swirl and fissures of water, he donned his red robe and in his hand was the Buddhist staff he was named after. Tsukishima’s hand began to glow blue-white and he aimed it at Oikawa, who began to glow that same colour of aqua. “He’ll be fine.”  
   
 Hinata perked his head. “Angel! Angel came back! He attacked us!”  
   
 Tsukishima nodded gravely. “We’ve almost set up the barrier here. He won’t be able to step foot in the shrine, in human form or as Angel. You three will.” He lowered his hand and the glowing stopped. A chilly breeze past. Tsukishima glanced to the full moon, then back to them. When he closed his eyes, his robe and staff dispersed into threads of water that evaporated.  
   
 Oikawa stood up and made sure his mask was on fine. “I appreciate it.”  
   
 Tsukishima shrugged. “We can use this place as a stronghold, if need be.” He then looked to Blade. “If you’re done here, you can leave.”  
   
 Blade nodded. “Thanks.”  
   
 Hinata nodded too. “Thanks for getting us out of there.”  
   
 Blade nodded again, awkwardly and turned.  
   
 Oikawa eyed him—then pulled his gun. “Not so fast.” He aimed and smiled. “You now know Staff’s identity.”  
   
 Hinata growled. “Stop that!”  
   
 Blade looked over his shoulder. “He knew I was here. He chose to reveal it to me. It wouldn’t have made a difference, anyway: I knew the temple attendants would be Lights.”  
   
 Oikawa lowered his gun, tentatively.  
   
 Blade shrugged. “My human world has nothing to do with him, nor you.” Darkness opened beneath him and he jumped in, disappearing as easily as he appeared.  
   
 Hinata glared at Oikawa.  
   
 Tsukishima didn’t seem to care.  
   
 Oikawa swallowed hard, dismissing his gun. He sighed, removing his mask and feeling the cold night’s breeze on his face.


	9. All

 Sugawara’s heel spiked into the air before it crashed down on Oikawa’s desk. “Feel my legs,” he whispered in a sultry voice, “I just shaved.”  
   
 It was a perfectly normal morning before that. Oikawa walked in with a yawn. He saw Iwaizumi, innocently eating breakfast; he couldn’t help but feel a bit uncomfortable, though, as his mind instantly went to the morning they woke up grinding against each other. It made him hot, and weird, and cold, and a little wet. He forced a smile though, and went on with his usual motto: Fake it until you make it. He threw himself into Iwaizumi’s lap. “Morning!”  
   
 Iwaizumi frowned (although Oikawa easily saw the little smile peeking through). “Get off.”  
   
 “Nuh uh.”  
   
 Iwaizumi shoved him.  
   
 Oikawa crashed into his own seat and pouted. He threw his feet on Iwaizumi’s lap.  
   
 Iwaizumi didn’t fight that, though.  
   
 “You’re anime.”  
   
 Iwaizumi blinked. “What?”  
   
 “You’re eating toast like a dumb anime boy. Bleh. You need to be nutritious. Give me some, I’m hungry.”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s mouth wiggled, the way it always did when he was suppressing smiles. He broke a piece of his toast off and offered it to Oikawa. “Didn’t eat this morning?”  
   
 “Nope, didn’t have time.” Oikawa grabbed the piece of bread and threw it in the air, catching it with ease. “So now I have to have your crappy breakfast.” He tossed it in his mouth and tasted it, eyebrow arching upwards.  
   
 Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. “It’s milk bread, and I put some steel cut oats and nuts in it for nutrition.”  
   
 Oikawa munched on it, fluffy yet crunchy. He opened his hand. “I’m a growing boy, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 Iwaizumi laughed, carefree and the first one like it in a while. He broke off a bigger piece. “Not even a thank you?”  
   
 “Thank you, Hajime.”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s cheeks warmed and he looked away. “Just take the fucking bread.” He shook the piece in the air.  
   
 Oikawa snatched it and munched happily, wiggling in excitement. It had just the right notes of sweet and savory, and it was filling and yummy and nice and fluffy to munch on. “Where did you get this, Iwa-chan? You’re not supposed to know the good spots of the city before I tell you them. That’s cheating. Don’t cheat on me.”  
   
 Iwaizumi snorted, against his will, and then tried to cover it up by giving a cool expression. “I baked it myself, asshole.”  
   
 “What? Seriously?”  
   
 “Mhm.”  
   
 “I want more, tomorrow.”  
   
 “Fine.”  
   
 Sugawara’s heel spiked into the air before it came crashing down on Oikawa’s desk. “Feel my legs,” he whispered in a sultry voice, “I just shaved.”  
   
 Oikawa screeched, high-pitched and shrill, arms raising as he shot out of his chair (and almost half toppled since his legs were on Iwaizumi’s lap) and moved into attack mode.  
   
 Iwaizumi stared, eyes wide, then glanced to Suga’s legs. “What?”  
   
 Sugawara, with an air of confidence that only made him more beautiful, scoffed. “Are you going to feel my leg or just ask shitty stupid questions?”  
   
 Oikawa raised his hand, slowly, then touched Sugawara’s leg. “Oh, ah…” He gasped, senses heightened. Silky smooth, tender like a newborn, like running his hand through fluid. “Kou-chan.”  
   
 Iwaizumi seemed hesitant, but he did too. “Oh wow. Shit.”  
   
 Sugawara took a shy little breath and then raised his head, making sure his shoulders were broad. The pose was unpracticed, but he too had to live by the motto: Fake it until you make it. Of course, that was his best friend’s motto, but his best friend was more like a sibling, and what are siblings for if not to sabotage each other?  
   
 “Daichi-san!” Oikawa chirped over the murmurs of the class. “Suga just shaved and we’re all touching his legs! Come!”  
   
 Daichi, three seats away, had barely put his bag on his desk when his name was called. He blinked several times and glanced to Sugawara, then down his leg, then to his hips, where Suga’s cute butt was facing him, and then up again to Sugawara who was looking over his shoulder right at him.  
   
 Sugawara stopped breathing. He had heard, once, from Oikawa, that deep and prolonged eye contact was either a sign of intense romantic/sexual interest, or aggression. And, as the seconds raced by, and Oikawa was petting his leg, and Iwaizumi was awkwardly fidgeting, and Daichi was staring at him, Sugawara – who had lived the majority of his life being called ugly for having ‘old people hair’ – was mostly expecting Daichi to come over and punch him in the face, since it had to be aggression.  
   
 It couldn’t be romantic interest.  
   
 Daichi did not punch him in the face.  
   
 Daichi walked over, slowly.  
   
 Daichi put his hand on Sugawara’s legs, and Oikawa disappeared. “Wow,” Daichi whispered. “That’s really soft…” He moved up, against the grain, to feel the tiniest bits in the softness, and then down where it was so smooth his hand might even slip. “That’s…” Daichi began, but when he looked up and made eye contact with Sugawara again…  
   
 Sugawara swallowed hard.  
   
 Daichi’s cheeks began to burn.  
   
 And what are siblings for if not to sabotage each other?  
   
 “You know…” Oikawa purred, “Legs aren’t the only thing Suga shav—”  
   
 “Shushhh!” Suga moved his foot back and then launched it forward in a fearsome kick.  
   
 Oikawa, with uncanny reflexes, caught Suga’s foot in his hands and grinned. “Ooop, got you now!”  
   
 Sugawara screeched and wiggled in his best friend’s hold.  
   
 There are times, few and far in between, in emergencies, where every day people achieve superhuman strength. There are many recorded cases where, after seeing someone stuck under a vehicle, a simple average person is flooded with adrenaline and cortisol, stress hormones, which gives them the power to lift the car. The damage to the muscle tissue is felt afterward, but for a single shining moment humans achieve the impossible.  
   
 That was what happened when Sugawara’s foot launched upwards in an uppercut. Sugawara roared a war cry and raised his legs beyond his normal flexibility, kicking his best friend in the face.  
   
 Oikawa was unfortunate enough to be looking down; and, when he was kicked, the foot hit him head on, slamming against his nose. He screamed, blood was in the air, as he fell back.  
   
 Iwaizumi munched on his bread. “He deserved it,”  
   
 Daichi blinked. “What.”  
   
 Sugawara lowered his foot, wincing as he felt like he’d just pulled a muscle. “Ouch!”  
   
 Daichi looked at him. “Are you okay?”  
   
 “What about me?” Oikawa whispered in a sob. “My nose, my pretty little nose! My kissable little nose!”  
   
 “Shhh.” Iwaizumi threw a couple tissues at him. “You’ll be fine.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “We’re spies, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “No.”  
   
 “What? What do you mean?”  
   
 “I mean you’ve caused Suga-san enough stress for one day.”  
   
 “Iwa-chan, I was the ice breaker.”  
   
 “I don’t think you know how ice breakers work.”  
   
 “They break ice.”  
   
 “Tooru.”  
   
 “Shush, Iwa-chan.” He pulled his boyfriend along. “Let’s just follow.”  
   
 It was lunchtime, and instead of eating lunch they were following Sugawara and Daichi.  
   
 Oikawa looked over the corner, into the stairwell and made a little _Hmmm_ noise.  
   
 Iwaizumi sighed. “Seriously?”  
   
 “Of course. This is necessary.”  
   
 “Can we, like, not?”  
   
 At that moment, Daichi laughed quite loud, while Sugawara rubbed his hands together as he nervously chuckled, looking anywhere but right at his love interest.  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes narrowed.  
   
 Iwaizumi looked as well, since he might as well.  
   
 Sugawara silently took a deep breath and forced himself to look Daichi in the eye. “You should take me out on Friday.”  
   
 “Out?” Daichi blinked, laughter ceasing, but his smile stayed. “Like a date?”  
   
 “Y-Yeah.”  
   
 “Are you asking me out?”  
   
 “No, I’m asking you to ask me out.”  
   
 “Why?”  
   
 “Because… I want you to ask me out?”  
   
 Daichi laughed again and his smile grew. “Okay. Sure, yeah.”  
   
 Sugawara’s shoulders tightened and he beamed. “Really?”  
   
 “Yeah. Do you, want see a movie?”  
   
 “Sure.”  
   
 “Wait.” Daichi paused. “I’m busy Friday…” He saw the way Sugawara deflated so he puffed up his chest. “What about tonight?”  
   
 “T-Tonight?”  
   
 “Well, I know Monday dates aren’t really a thing, but… I probably couldn’t wait all week anyway.”  
   
 Sugawara fidgeted and his eyes widened.  
   
 “If it’s too early—”  
   
 “N-No! It’s cool!” Sugawara nodded twice. “Um, don’t you practice today?”  
   
 “Oh. Right.” Daichi scratched the back of his head. “Probably shouldn’t forget that… since I’m the captain…”  
   
 “That’s cool, though. I have um, anime club, so… We end around the same time, right? We can catch a movie and then maybe catch a coffee or something?”  
   
 “Sure. I’d like that.” Daichi grinned and rubbed his cheek. “That would be nice. My treat, since I’m asking you out – apparently.”  
   
 Sugawara laughed and looked away. “Good. It’s… it’s a date.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 After more tiring classes, including math, which mentally exhausted Iwaizumi (he was lucky he was good at math or else the curriculum difference was going to drown him), they went to club. Oikawa had gone to flirt with the tea ceremony club to get more tea, since they had run out. Iwaizumi helped with getting the cookies and drinks out, or at least the cups until Oikawa got more tea. Hinata, Nishinoya, and Yachi were more or less entertaining everyone while they talked (very loudly) about the animes they recommended (Boku no Pico was mentioned seven times). Kiyoko was on her laptop, setting up the next episode.  
   
 Sugawara, though, tugged Iwaizumi’s shirt.  
   
 Iwaizumi looked over. “Hey.”  
   
 “So, I don’t know how, but Tooru always seems to know things about me,” Sugawara spoke with a warm sharpness to his words, “I have a date tonight, with Daichi.”  
   
 “I know.” Iwaizumi paused, and then clarified: “We know, rather.”  
   
 Sugawara sighed, shaking his head. “Could you keep Tooru away from me? He’ll stalk us all night if you let him.”  
   
 Iwaizumi laughed. “Will do.”  
   
 “Thanks, Pumpkin.”  
   
 “You’re welcome. Pumpkin?”  
   
 Sugawara glanced over. “Speak of the devil.”  
   
 Oikawa walked in with a big bag of tea. “Hehehehehehehe.”  
   
 After watching an episode of anime, the club gathered together and began voting for the next anime they would watch. After the votes, the others went back to watching anime while Oikawa and Iwaizumi sat at the table and did the administrative stuff. Iwaizumi, being the vice-president (apparently), had the task of counting the votes delegated to him by his sweet and kind and merciful boyfriend who was by no means sweet, kind, nor merciful. But he was his boyfriend. Iwaizumi liked that bit enough not to complain when Oikawa complimented himself.  
   
 “So,” asked Iwaizumi, “All I’m supposed to do is count them and eliminate any votes going to anything that will get the club disassembled?”  
   
 “Yep!”  
   
 “Well, okay.” Iwaizumi went through the votes and found three, by Hinata, Nishinoya, and Yachi for – of course – Boku no Pico. He sighed.  
   
 “Aren’t they cute?”  
   
 “Maybe.”  
   
 There was a knock at the door.  
   
 Oikawa perked up. “Come in!”  
   
 There was a first year, holding out a form. “I’d like to join the Anime and Manga Club!”  
   
 “Oh good!” Oikawa jumped out of the seat and took the form. He didn’t even look at it as he signed the area he was supposed to. “We just made our votes for the next one we’re going to watch. You can vote now, though.”  
   
 The new first year was bald, with a shaved head, and very intense looking. He looked at the list and hummed thoughtfully. “Oh. No. 6 was awesome. Can I vote for that?”  
   
 “Oh goody,” chirped Oikawa, “He’s not straight!”  
   
 The first year blinked. “I am.”  
   
 “But… you don’t mind watching something about two guys kissing?”  
   
 “My sister’s a lesbian and she was part of the club; she liked watching two guys kissing.”  
   
 “That’s.” Oikawa paused. “Actually a fairly good argument.” He cocked his head. “Your sister was…?”  
   
 “Ah! I didn’t introduce myself to my Senpai!” The first year bowed and yelled, “Tanaka Ryuunosuke! Nice to meet you, Oikawa-senpai!”  
   
 Oikawa wiped a tear from his eye. “Oh Saeko, you raised him well.” He gave Tanaka’s head a couple pats.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 With introductions all around, and another hour well spent, Oikawa clasped his hands together. “Why don’t we finish up early? Some of us have places to be, right?”  
   
 Sugawara shot him a glare.  
   
 Iwaizumi rolled his eyes.  
   
 Hinata raised his hand. “I can clean up if the third years have to go!”  
   
 “Bless you and your little cotton shoes, Shou-chan.” Oikawa grabbed Iwaizumi and dragged him out. “Now, Suga and Daichi are going on their date, so that means me and you—”  
   
 “—Should also go on a date.”  
   
 Oikawa blinked. “Huh?”  
   
 “Soba sounds nice,” mused Iwaizumi, looking around the room.  
   
 “No, no, no…” Oikawa shook his head, not believing his ears. “We have to go to the movie theatre because Kou-chan and Dai-chan are—”  
   
 “—You don’t like soba?”  
   
 “Well, yeah, but….”  
   
 Iwaizumi took his head. “Come on.” He took both their bags and pulled Oikawa out of the room. “Show me more of Yokohama.”  
   
 “What why how why now?”  
   
 “It’s April. Isn’t there a river with like, two-hundred cherry blossoms on either side?”  
   
 “Ookagawa river,” replied Oikawa, eyes still wide. “And it’s like five hundred. Or, it might be five hundred in all, so two-fifty on each side. But there’s a lot.”  
   
 “I want to see it.”  
   
 “Iwa-chan, no…” He shook his head. “Detective Toto-chan has to be on the case…”  
   
 Iwaizumi pulled him along. “Soba sounds good.”  
   
 “Mmmm, soba…” Oikawa didn’t even realise they were at their shoe lockers until Iwaizumi was gathering some things. He did the same, and then paused. “But wait, we have to go to the movie theatre, Hajime. Movie theatre. Mo-vie. The-a-tre!”  
   
 “But I want soba. And cherry blossoms. Isn’t it romantic to kiss under cherry blossoms? You like that romance gross shit right?”  
   
 “Of course! But why now?”  
   
 “Youth is fading, Toto-chan!”  
   
 “Iwa-chan what the fuck.”  
   
 Iwaizumi pulled him out of the school and onto to the street, but Oikawa paused. It happened so much at once, as if his boyfriend had frozen to stone, that Iwaizumi glanced back sharply.  
   
 Oikawa stared ahead.  
   
 At the school entrance, across the street, a boy with dual-coloured hair, black at the roots, blond at the tips, was staring right at him. A car drove by, and at once the boy was gone.  
   
 ‘Boy’ was a relative term. Oikawa knew Kenma Kozume was in his thirties, late thirties, even if he didn’t look it.  
   
 Iwaizumi frowned. “Everything okay?”  
   
 “Yeah. I’m fine.” Oikawa swallowed hard. “I should go home.”  
   
 “You okay?”  
   
 “Fine. Just fine.”  
   
 “You’re not fine.”  
   
 “I just.” Oikawa glanced to the side. “Remembered I have to call my mom today.” It was his usual excuse, the one he always gave Suga when the Light or Dark came calling. It always worked like a charm. When he made eye contact again with Iwaizumi, Oikawa knew it had worked. He hated lying, but he didn’t exactly have any other choice. He couldn’t exactly say ‘Hey you know Sailor Moon? I’m kinda like that. Fighting evil by moonlight, winning love by daylight, I also cross-dress and I’m very good with chainsaws.’  
   
 Iwaizumi loosened his grip and analysed Oikawa’s face. “Can I walk you to your station at least?”  
   
 “Yeah.” Oikawa leaned over, kissing his cheek. “I’d like that.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Mondays at movie theatres were usually empty, which meant it was easy to get good seats. They sat in prime location, dead centre, a big bag of popcorn between them, couple snacks, and two drinks. Sugawara’s cheeks were pink now, and they had been that way for the past half-hour. “I’m surprised you wanted to see this one, Daichi… Are you sure you’re not just saying you want to for me?”  
   
 Daichi laughed. “No, I… I actually do want to see this one.” He blushed as well, smiling. “I… actually really like chick flicks.”  
   
 Sugawara raised an eyebrow. “Really?”  
   
 “That’s what everyone says,” he said in a laugh. “But yeah. I don’t know, I don’t… have anyone to see them with, since all my friends just want to see the big manly explosion action movies.”  
   
 Sugawara grinned. “You? Chick flicks?”  
   
 “Yep.” Daichi laughed again. “I was more or less raised by chick flicks. Single mom and grandma raised me, and I’m an only child, so all three of us bonded when we all cried over them. Learned to love ‘em when I was young.”  
   
 Sugawara laughed. “That’s. So cute.”  
   
 “Is it?”  
   
 “Yes.” Suga chuckled. “If you need someone to watch chick flicks with…”  
   
 “Good.” Daichi nodded. “I guess we’ll have many more dates.”  
   
 Sugawara shoved his face full of popcorn.  
   
 The movie started.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Oikawa hugged and kissed Iwaizumi by the station. Iwaizumi jerked away out of reflex, but mostly because he wasn't used to being cute in public. Oikawa hugged him tight, nonetheless and waved him off when they said goodbye. He didn't board the train, though. No. He ducked into a side alley and closed his eyes. It was a station that was half-outdoors, half-indoors. At once, blue lights swirled around him, twisting, turning, and glowing. The skirt that shot out was glowing bright blue, the same colour as his wings. He leapt up and landed on the train before it zoomed forward. He kept his eyes peeled, looking around.  
   
 The tracks arched in a turn.  
   
 When he saw a familiar glint of light, he jumped off the train and landed on nearby rooftops.  
   
 Oikawa looked left, right. “Kenma?” He turned. “Akaashi?”  
   
  _A coin flipped into the air._  
   
 And a voice called out, “Heads or tails?”  
   
 “Heads!” Oikawa yelled as he turned once more.  
   
 The coin landed in a man's palm. “Out of luck, buddy.”  
   
 Oikawa summoned his rifle and pointed it at the tall man. “And you are?”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 The movie kept going. It was everything Suga wanted from a romance. He didn't want to be _that_ person that stereotyped, but he honestly couldn't even fathom the idea of Daichi being into girly movies. But, throughout the whole thing, Daichi laughed, smiled, frowned, and Suga caught it all through the corner of his eye. Daichi was gorgeous, really. He kept sneaking glances.  
   
 He had no idea, of course, that Daichi was doing the same to him.  
   
 It was during the climax of the story Suga had misty eyes and he leaned on Daichi. Daichi put his arm around Suga and held him close. Suga smelled Daichi's cologne and relaxed, nuzzling him a little without realising it. He smelled perfect. It was a manly tonic, with notes of woods, cedar and pine, but it was light too.  
   
 Sugawara leaned in a bit more, resting his head on Daichi's shoulder. A single stroke of fear made his mind ask a sharp question: Too much? But it was too late. A voice that too much sounded like Oikawa whispered _Fake it until you make it_ , so Suga relaxed, and decided to enjoy the movie and enjoy the closeness, for they were a perfect match for each other.  
   
 When the movie was nearing its end, Suga remembered about how he thought movie dates were weird. You sit next to each other and don't talk for two hours. Oikawa loved going to the movies, while Suga was a little bit more neurotic about wasting two hours. Suga usually watched movies by himself, actually. Company changed the mood. Sometimes it was good, sometimes it was bad. But when he was by himself, he always enjoyed movies more, could immerse himself more into it.  
   
 But being with Daichi was…  
   
 He breathed through his nose and the scent of cedar and pine…  
   
 The warmth against him…  
   
 That hold around him…  
   
 Okay. Suga smiled. Maybe movie dates weren't weird.  
   
 Maybe they were awesome, really awesome.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “No need to get feisty.”  
   
 Oikawa didn't lower his gun.  
   
 The man threw the coin in the air. “It's tails.” He caught it and flipped it between his fingers. “Why did you go with heads?”  
   
 “Huh? Um. I don’t know. Does anyone have a reason?”  
   
 “You seemed pretty set on heads, though. No one's quick to answer unless they have a reason.”  
   
 “Well, I like giving head, so…”  
   
 The man laughed. “Wow, you really are something.”  
   
 Oikawa analysed him. He was a tall man, with white hair. Well, grey. Streaked hair. All spiked up. He didn't quite look like angel, but the cross-shaped mask could change that (and it was then Oikawa wondered if Angel had changed his appearance on purpose to look like Suga).  
   
 “You know, Skirt. They told me two things about you.”  
   
 “Oh, did they? What could those be, if you don't mind me asking?”  
   
 “One, you run a quirky little mouth for its money's worth; and, two, you're nothing like your mom.”  
   
 Oikawa's eyes narrowed. “You know my mom?”  
   
 “Mhm. Everyone who works for Sectin knows the last name Oikawa.”  
   
 The barrel of his gun lowered, just a little, and he cocked his head to the side. “You're with Sectin.”  
   
 “Mhm.” He put his hands on his hips. “I'm with Kenma and Akaashi.”  
   
 Oikawa lowered his gun completely. “Apologies.”  
   
 “Nah, I don't mind too much. I wanted to see who you were for myself, that's all.”  
   
 “Well.” Oikawa stepped closer along the rooftop, ignoring the sunset lights that hit the side of his eye. “Last I heard, Kozume Kenma and Akaashi Keiji are listed under the irregular department. So, if I can ask you, Mister…?”  
   
 “Bokuto.” He pointed his thumb at himself and smiled. “Bokuto Koutarou.”  
   
 “Bokuto-san,” Oikawa said politely, “What exactly is your team… doing here?”  
   
 “Hm, well. The truth is… we're just not assigned anywhere right now.” Bokuto shrugged. “So Kenma brought us here.”  
   
 “Here?” Oikawa frowned. “Why, specifically, here?”  
   
 “You don't know?”  
   
 “Know what?”  
   
 “This is Kenma's hometown.” Bokuto looked around. “Big city. I grew up on the hick side, so I don't know how anything this big could be a home-'town' but, whatever. He moved when he was young, to Miyagi, but he had a friend here so he came back a lot.”  
   
 Oikawa stared, brows furrowing together. Why hadn't Kenma told him that? Kenma was…  
   
 “But.” Bokuto shrugged again. “It's not my place to question my superior, but I don't think that's the only reason we came here.”  
   
 “If you're not assigned, it means there's no irregular activity.”  
   
 “Yes, and no. That's only half-true! See, if it's listed irregular, the irregular department takes care of it. Simple, right? But how does it get labelled irregular? Who sniffs out the irregularity? The Sectin way up in their stuffy officers, or the ones who walk the streets?”  
   
 “I would bet on the latter.”  
   
 “Bet, huh?” Bokuto tossed his coin again and caught it. “It's all a matter of luck.” He flipped it. “Heads or tails?”  
   
 “Heads.”  
   
 Bokuto caught the coin and looked at it. He pursed his lips and shook his head. “Bad luck today.”  
   
 “There's no such thing as good luck or bad luck, just probability distributions.”  
   
 Bokuto laughed. “Okay buddy.”  
   
 Oikawa smiled, but it was a strained smile, the corners weren't quite right, the eyes didn't have the right creases…  
   
 “Probability doesn't exist, kid.” He flipped the coin and caught it. “If I said heads or tails, it's not a fifty-fifty. It either is or isn't heads.”  
   
 “Heads.”  
   
 Bokuto threw the coin at him.  
   
 Oikawa caught it with his free hand and opened his palm. “Well well.” He flipped the coin slowly. “A double sided coin. Tails on both ends.”  
   
 Bokuto snapped his finger and the coin came back to him. “Yep. Meaning you got bad luck, or bad luck.”  
   
 “And here I was, just trying to give head.”  
   
 Bokuto smirked, and then he snorted. “Yeah, _nothing_ like your mother.”  
   
 “I pride myself on that.”  
   
 “Hm, yeah? Well, word of advice. Keep your friends close, kid.”  
   
 “And my enemies closer?”  
   
 “Nah, pray to shit your enemies fuck off and leave you alone.” Bokuto's smile faded. “You don't want them to get close.”  
   
 Oikawa's eyes narrowed.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “Here.” Daichi offered a handkerchief.  
   
 Suga blinked, thinking it was cliché but also being a bit like wow I can now say that happened to me, so he took it with a mutter of thanks and wiped his eyes.  
   
 Daichi smiled. “Do you, want to get coffee or something?”  
   
 “Yeah, I know a place around here.” Suga smiled, feeling warm little flutters in his chest. “It's a place called Owl.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 It was a modest café at the corner of an intersection. With the baristas in the inner corner, the tables and booths were in an L-shape along the windowed walls. The aromas of coffee beans being roasted and desserts being baked all day long were heavy in the air. It was a quieter café, not many students came here. Much of the crowd were older men and women; they came in at the end of the day, usually to have a cup of coffee or tea by themselves.  
   
 “Wow.” Daichi looked impressed as he suppressed a smile.  
   
 Suga made eye contact with a waiter and pulled Daichi along to a booth by the window.  
   
 The waiter gave the menus and said he'll be back in a bit.  
   
 “Drinks are good here, desserts too.” Suga smiled. “Everything's good here.”  
   
 “Then why don't we get some sweets?”  
   
 “I… try to avoid them, but they're _really_ good.”  
   
 “Really?”  
   
 “It's worth it.”  
   
 The server came back in a bit.  
   
 Suga smiled. “I'll have a soy latté, and a slice of the decadent chocolate cake.”  
   
 The waiter nodded and turned to Daichi.  
   
 “An Americano, and a couple mochi cakes, please.” When the waiter left, Daichi turned to Suga. “What did you think of the movie?”  
   
 “Oh, I loved it. Especially that last scene.”  
   
 “Yeah, how she came back to him…” Daichi's eyes were the tiniest bit misty, no one would have noticed, unless they were Suga who was analysing every feature of that face. “It was good.”  
   
 “I admit it was, bit of a… I don't know.”  
   
 “Typical storyline?”  
   
 “Yeah, but it had nice twists, you know. It was well done.”  
   
 “It was.” Daichi nodded. “The storyline was basic, but how they did it, with those like close up shots to the photographs and everything… Everything else was really dynamic. And the music…”  
   
 “The drums…”  
   
 “I think I felt you shaking when they went on.”  
   
 “Aha.” Suga scratched his nose, blushing. “Really?”  
   
 Daichi smiled. “I won't tell.”  
   
 Suga flushed and grinned. “Thanks for the handkerchief by the way.” He pulled it out. “Are you an old man who carries one around?”  
   
 “I thought you'd like it,” Daichi mused, “Since the man always has one in animes.”  
   
 Suga snorted and offered the square cloth. “Does that make me the girl, then?”  
   
 “Well… you do shave your legs.”  
   
 Suga's cheeks burned and he laughed.  
   
 Daichi took the handkerchief. “I'm glad I got it back now, otherwise I'd have to wait eighteen episodes.”  
   
 “Oh my God.”  
   
 Daichi laughed.  
   
 The drinks came, and so did the sweets.  
   
 Suga considered asking for a glass of ice water so he could cool down, but he thought that might have been odd. Maybe. “Americano, isn't that just like, a cup of bitter?”  
   
 “It's not that bad with a bit of milk.” Daichi pushed his drink forward. “Want to try?”  
   
 “Not really,” Suga said, but with eyes locked on the drink. He knew it was childish – sipping from the same cup, indirect kiss – but he grabbed the handle and took a sip, making eye contact with Daichi. Up until he sipped, of course, because then he looked away and swallowed, closing his eyes and shaking his head.  
   
 Daichi laughed.  
   
 “It's awful.”  
   
 Daichi took his cup back and took a large sip of it. After releasing a content sigh, “Perfect.”  
   
 Suga looked to the little round mochi cakes. “So you pair super sweet with super bitter?”  
   
 “Yeah. Want to try?”  
   
 “Mhm, nah. I'll stick to my soy latte.”  
   
 Daichi laughed. “I like extremes.”  
   
 “I'm surprised you're not going for my best friend.”  
   
 “Too extreme. Way too extreme.”  
   
 Suga snorted and covered his nose.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Oikawa jumped from rooftop to rooftop, looking through the city streets. A couple Dark were chasing him, but he didn't really aim while he fired his gun, blasting them to bits. His eyes were focused on the street below. “Oh, come on Koushi, I'm supposed to see your date—where – are – you?”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Suga blushed as he rubbed his nose. “You didn't have to walk me home.”  
   
 Daichi looked up the tall apartment, then back to Suga. “I don't mind.”  
   
 “Such a gentleman,” Suga mused and turned to him.  
   
 Daichi blinked. “You've got some chocolate by the way. On your face.”  
   
 “We walked the entire way home and you didn't tell me?” He tried to rub it off, but he didn't know where it was.  
   
 “Well, I was on your right. It's on your left side.” When Suga pouted, Daichi saw his chance. He leaned in and kissed the corner of Suga's mouth. Though his expression was neutral, his face was bright red.  
   
 Suga blinked, stunned. He bit his lip and looked away, wiggling his feet together as he let out a little giggle. “We're supposed to wait until the third date.” He put his hands behind his back, fingers fiddling with each other.  
   
 “Well, sorry.” Daichi grinned. “I'm a little impatient… had a crush on you for a couple years now.”  
   
 Suga's face burned. “Yeah?”  
   
 “First year.”  
   
 Suga laughed and looked up, meeting his gaze.  
   
 “So…” Daichi took a deep breath. “I guess, I'll see you tomorrow?”  
   
 “Y-Yeah.”  
   
 Daichi licked his lips and took another breath. He leaned in, slowly, cupping the side of Suga's face as he pressed their lips together, for a proper kiss.  
   
 Suga closed his eyes and breathed through his nose. His legs felt weak and his shoulders were burning and his arms had butterflies and nothing made sense because finally everything was right with the world.  
   
 Daichi pulled away. “I had fun today.”  
   
 Suga nodded, swallowing hard. “We'll do it again.”  
   
 “Good.” Daichi took a step back and waved goodbye.  
   
 Suga waved as well and took a deep breath of the night air.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Oikawa, not knowing where else to go, went home. When he jumped from one streetlight to the next, he saw Daichi walking – alone. “No, no, no.” Oikawa yelped. “But if he's coming from that way then—” He blasted forward until he saw Suga going into the elevator of their apartment. He shifted forms, brilliance of light bursting in different directions as his clothes changed, returning to his high school uniform, and crashed into the elevator, grabbing Suga's shoulders (which caused him to scream). “Don't tell me I missed it!”  
   
 Suga froze for a second.  
   
 “What happened, Kou-chan! Kou-chan! Koushi! It's over? What happened? Did you kiss? Did you?”  
   
 The elevator shifted as it began to move up.  
   
 Suga stared, and then smiled.  
   
 Oikawa grinned. “You did, didn't you?”  
   
 Sugawara pretended to pout. “I'm surprised you didn't stalk me.”  
   
 “I was going to but then Iwa-chan—”—Oikawa gasped—“—that was your doing!”  
   
 “Come on,” Suga said as the doors opened. He pulled Oikawa along. “I'll tell you all about.”  
   
 And behind them, the elevator doors closed.


	10. None

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to drop me a line at [Twitter (@Remembrance123)](https://twitter.com/Remembrance123) or [Tumblr (Remembrance123)](http://remembrance123.tumblr.com/) if that's what you prefer. I find AO3 has the easiest way to reply to comments, so that's what I prefer, but I know some people prefer other methods! 
> 
> Hope you enjoy the new chapter!
> 
> * * *

_“Probability doesn't exist, kid.” He flipped the coin and caught it. “If I said heads or tails, it's not a fifty-fifty. It either is or isn't heads.”  
   
 “Heads.”  
   
 Bokuto threw the coin at him.  
   
 Oikawa caught it with his free hand and opened his palm. “Well well.” He flipped the coin slowly. “A double sided coin. Tails on both ends.”_  
   
 Steam rose from the porcelain cup.  
   
  _Bokuto snapped his finger and the coin came back to him. “Yep. Meaning you got bad luck, or bad luck.”  
   
 “And here I was, just trying to give head.”_  
   
 The wooden room was heavy with the scent of pine and fine sandalwood.  
   
  _Bokuto smirked, and then he snorted. “Yeah, nothing like your mother.”  
   
 “I pride myself on that.”  
   
 “Hm, yeah? Well, word of advice. Keep your friends close, kid.”_  
   
 “Oikawa?”  
   
  _“And my enemies closer?”_  
   
 “Oikawa?”  
   
  _“Nah, pray to shit your enemies fuck off and leave you alone.” Bokuto's smile faded. “You don't want them to get close.”_  
   
 “Oikawa-senpai!”  
   
 Oikawa looked up. It was early in the morning, about an hour before school started. They sat around a square table in one of the large rooms of the shrine, on pillow cushions that were bright blue and pink (Akiteru’s choice, of course). Oikawa looked around, glancing to Hinata, Tsukishima, and Akiteru. He gave them a smile and laughed his silence off. “Sorry, sorry.” He waved his hand in front of his face. “Was just thinking about homework stuff. Now, anyway…”  
   
 Akiteru took the cue and cleared his throat. “So, lately a lot has happened… I’m not exactly sure what we should do, or where we should start. So.” He shuffled the papers in front of him. “Let’s go over the data Kiyoko gave us, and revise what we know. Codename: Angel. Weapons: Light Energy, and (technically) wings. Mask: Cross-shaped, known as rare and abnormal, but otherwise no difference save for a cosmetic visual effect. His statements suggest he seems to be ‘friends’ (we use that term loosely) with the Dark, but let’s not buy that right off the bat.”  
   
 Tsukishima cocked his head. “Even if it isn’t a bluff, how much control he has over the Dark is unknown.”  
   
 Akiteru nodded.  
   
 Oikawa hummed. “Kiyoko-chan’s data is mostly blank, which worries me.”  
   
 Hinata blinked. “Worries?”  
   
 “Kiyoko’s not the type to half-ass anything,” explained Oikawa, “Especially not anything related to the balance of Light and Dark. If she doesn’t have any data, it just means there is no data.”  
   
 Hinata silently ‘bwah’d. “So that means… he just, poofed out of nowhere!” He threw his hands in the air. “Bwah!”  
   
 Akiteru pursed his lips. “Nobody comes out of nowhere, especially not with such high level attacks.”  
   
 “Or pacts with the Dark,” murmured Tsukishima.  
   
 “Maybe…” Hinata spoke slowly, “He’s got such a high level boost _because_ he made a pact with the Dark.”  
   
 Oikawa raised an eyebrow. “Possibly.”  
   
 “He doesn’t have an aura of darkness,” Tsukishima said. “Which is why I doubt that he even has a pact with the Dark. He came very suddenly.”  
   
 “But,” Oikawa said as he lifted a finger to the air, “So did the big influx of monsters.”  
   
 Hinata wiggled. “Um.” He looked around. “I know a lot of monsters is a good thing, since it means we can improve our combat skills, but… I heard, if there’s a lot of monsters they all like.” He smacked his hands together. “Cluster up, and get super big. Like that big worm.”  
   
 Tsuki shrugged. “You’ve never seen a clustering, have you?”  
   
 “Nope.”  
   
 “Good,” whispered Akiteru.  
   
 Oikawa nodded. “Let’s keep it that way.”  
   
 Hinata gulped. “What’s it like?”  
   
 Tsukishima sighed. “Too quick to really know.”  
   
 “When a lot of them cluster, like twice the size of that headless snake…” Oikawa looked at his teacup in front of him, glancing to the green-yellow surface. “It’s already happened. Headline news. Child killed in a hit and run, happy teenagers commit group suicide, school bus struck by lightning. Mudslide kills forty.”  
   
 Hinata bit his lip and looked at Tsuki.  
   
 Tsuki nodded. “Events that can’t be blamed on anyone. Or, in the cases of ‘hit and runs’, they don’t leave enough evidence for a case. Nobody sees it happen, nobody can stop it.”  
   
 “Except the four of us!” Oikawa made a peace sign and held it up, closing one eye while he smiled.  
   
 Hinata looked at him. “And Blade.”  
   
 Tsuki cocked his head to the side. “Hm.”  
   
 Akiteru shuffled papers again. “I’ve never met him, so I can’t judge.”  
   
 Oikawa thought of it. “I don’t like any of this to be honest.”  
   
 Hinata huffed. “You’re suspecting him, aren’t you?”  
   
 “I am. It’s just all too…” Oikawa bit his lip. “Convenient. An adult comes to the city, refuses to get to know us, wants nothing to do with us, then Angel shows up – and now we know Kenma Kozume, highest ranking officer of the irregular department, is coming in… not with one, but _two_ subordinates…” He grabbed his teacup and chugged the scalding drink. “The worst thing is we don’t have any idea about what’s going on. The point is, our data is limited and if knowledge is power, we are not optimised on our battle gear. Considering this is life or death, Shouyou, this isn’t a good situation for us. The only thing we do have is numbers.”  
   
 Hinata pursed his lips.  
   
 Oikawa put his cup down. “I want communication between us. If we don’t have each other’s backs, it’ll be three of us sitting here next time. Got it?”  
   
 Tsukishima adjusted his glasses, Akiteru fidgeting while Hinata made himself smaller.  
   
 Oikawa sighed. “Okay. That’s all I have. Anything else?”  
   
 Tsukishima shook his head; his brother muttered a no.  
   
 Hinata raised his hand, like in class.  
   
 “Yes,” Oikawa said, amused, “Shouyou?”  
   
 “Um! I need help with homework! And I think Tsuki should help me!”  
   
 “Good point.” Oikawa nodded. “I agree.”  
   
 Tsukishima frowned. “What.”  
   
 Akiteru smiled. “He’ll help.”  
   
 “Don’t offer for me!”  
   
 “Well you’re not saying no.”  
   
 Tsukishima shot him a sharp glare.  
   
 Oikawa laughed. “Don’t be so tsundere, help him.”  
   
 “Why the fuck do you care?”  
   
 “Well if Shou-chan struggles trying to understand math alone, he’ll be tired in a fight, and then there won’t be any more Shou-chan!”  
   
 Tsuki huffed, looking away. “Fine.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Oikawa was walking up the side stairwell to the third floor of school later that morning. He usually used the main one, since no one used the stairwells on the side (unless they wanted to go to the roof), but that meant it was quieter and he didn’t want to bump into anyone today. He hadn’t slept at all last night, and the truth was he didn’t know what day it was, and he wanted to go back home, and he wanted a hug. It wasn’t a hug, but when he reached the top of the stairs he felt a tap to his shoulder.  
   
 Iwaizumi cocked his head, looking at him, noting the dark bags under his eyes. “You okay?”  
   
 Oikawa glanced at him, closing his eyes for a bit before opening them again. “Yeah.”  
   
 Iwaizumi kept staring. He took Oikawa’s hand and pulled it. “Come on, we can talk.”  
   
 Oikawa yawned and shook his head. “Nothing like that.” He pulled Iwaizumi close and pushed his head into Iwaizumi’s neck. “I just… I don’t know. Had a lot on my mind, stupid stuff, mom stuff, so I didn’t sleep. I’m not sleeping well… Can I sleep next to you?”  
   
 “Um.” Iwaizumi swallowed hard. “Of course…”  
   
 Oikawa raised his head. “What?”  
   
 “Well…”  
   
 “Well?”  
   
 “You’re not… worried?”  
   
 “Worried?”  
   
 “Yeah…”  
   
 Oikawa tilted his head. “Why would I be worried, Iwa-chan?”  
   
 “Because… I mean, just… Well…” Iwaizumi took a breath and ran a hand through his hair. “Last time when we woke up.”  
   
  _Oikawa, half-asleep, opened his legs just a bit, so Iwaizumi could grind his crotch against his. His own body, unknowingly, was equally returning the slow movements. Mmm, it felt good. Oikawa kept his eyes closed, not aware enough to realise it wasn’t a dream. As Iwaizumi rocked against him, he let out a little noise. It was warm, hot, heavy… too hot, too hot. He tugged his shirt. His buttoned up pyjama top, covered in little aliens, was pulled. The little buttons slipped out of their holes and soon the aliens slipped away._  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes widened.  
   
  _“Stop!” Oikawa yelled, “Stop looking at me!”_  
   
 “I’m not worried.” Oikawa smiled and put his hands on his hips. “Iwa-chan. Let’s have sex tonight.”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s face distorted. “What?”  
   
 “Sex. You, me. Penis. Vagina! Let’s do the do.”  
   
 Iwaizumi stared, questions running along the creases of his frown.  
   
 “Come on! If you’re worried, then, let’s do it and get it over with!”  
   
 “I’m… not interested.”  
   
 Oikawa blinked. “What? Why not?”  
   
 “I don’t… want to do it with you, just to ‘get it over with’, Tooru.” Iwaizumi sighed. “Look. You, you’re…” He kissed his cheek. “You’re fucking amazing, and you deserve so much better than that--and before you make this all about you, _I_ do too. So, no.”  
   
 Oikawa smiled, kissing Iwa-chan’s cheek back. “But you know I want to do it with you.”  
   
 “I do too.”  
   
 “So let’s do it!”  
   
 “You’re not even going to buy me flowers first?”  
   
 Oikawa looked around, making sure no one was in the deserted stairwell before he grabbed Iwaizumi’s face and kissed him. “Fine, we’ll let it happen on its own. Do you have any sex toys, Iwa-chan?”  
   
 “Wh-What? No.”  
   
 “Do you even have lube?”  
   
 “No!”  
   
 “No?”  
   
 “I mean, I buy it when I need it, but… I don’t really need it often?”  
   
 “Oh, Iwa-chan.” He sighed. “What am I going to do with you?”  
   
 “We can play cards. Or go to class.”  
   
 Oikawa laughed, kissing him again—rough this time—and then pulling him on. They were both blushing when they walked in the classroom together, holding hands. Oikawa caught sight of Sugawara leaning on Daichi’s desk, both of them standing while they talked, quite close to one another.  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled. “Looks like their date went well.”  
   
 “It did.”  
   
 “Don’t tell me you stalked them…”  
   
 “I wanted to, but you kept me away!”  
   
 “I thought I was successful.”  
   
 “You were.” Oikawa shoved Iwaizumi in his seat, then took his own, throwing his feet on Iwaizumi’s lap. “Koushi just told me about it.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 And Suga did tell him about it, every detail. They stayed up last night, in pyjamas, on Suga’s bed, talking the whole night. Suga’s eyes were wide and sparkling (actually sparkling) and his cheeks were bright red, and he was pouring his heart out. Oikawa had never seen Sugawara Koushi so… animated, before. His smile was wide, voice was loud, he was bouncing in place like an excited puppy… Oikawa laughed and smiled, but couldn’t help but feel a little hollow about all of it.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 When class ended, there was no club. They walked home, Oikawa hugging Iwaizumi’s arm. He almost fell asleep, twice, on the walk home, and Iwaizumi couldn’t help but mutter, “You’re cute.”  
   
 “I know I am but what am I? Cute.”  
   
 “No, I mean. Really cute. Like really fucking cute.”  
   
 Oikawa opened his eyes and laughed, a nervous high pitched laugh. He blushed, looking Iwaizumi in the eye. “Well aren’t you just Casanova yourself, huh?”  
   
 “Who?”  
   
 “Uh, oh. Well, um. He’s some European. Fucked a lot of women or something, kind of a legend sex idol thing?”  
   
 “Oh.” Iwaizumi unlocked his front door. “Welcome home.” He pushed the door open.  
   
 Oikawa glanced to the shoes. “Dad not home?”  
   
 “Nope. Luckily.”  
   
 Oikawa stepped in, taking his own shoes off. He tossed his bag on the couch and then pulled off his thin sweater, letting that fall to the floor. He did a little twirl. “Iwa-chan, let’s play strip poker.”  
   
 “You’d throw every hand and just get naked.”  
   
 “Maaaybe.” He ran around Iwaizumi and hugged him from behind, resting his chin on Iwaizumi’s shoulder. “But, I’m super innocent, don’t you know? A pure virgin. Like an angel.”  
   
 “I doubt that.”  
   
 Oikawa grinned and kissed Iwaizumi’s neck. He lowered his voice and whispered in Iwaizumi’s ear. “Don’t you at least want to finger me?”  
   
 “I do.” Iwaizumi shook him off. “I just don’t want to fuck anything up more than it is right now.”  
   
 “You don’t wanna what?”  
   
 “Fuck anything up.”  
   
 “That’s a pun!”  
   
 Iwaizumi frowned, turning around. He pushed Oikawa against the wall, taking in his floral scent.  
   
 Oikawa slid down the wall, just a little, so they were even height.  
   
 Iwaizumi kissed him, and Oikawa threw his arms around Iwaizumi’s neck. He pulled away and Iwaizumi kissed his neck. “Iwa-chan… don’t you wanna know what I look like without clothes on?”  
   
 Iwaizumi stopped, pressing his forehead against Oikawa’s collarbone. “I just don’t… want you to freak out.”  
   
 “Iwa-chan. That was a one time thing, just forget about it, okay?”  
   
 Iwaizumi raised his head and stared. “It scared me.”  
   
 Oikawa’s mouth shut, lips pursed tight.  
   
 “I thought, you’d leave me, I thought that I’d… lose, you. I thought I upset you, hurt you… and I know, I know it was just some kind of, shock or whatever. But it scares me. Tooru, you try so hard… so fucking hard to pretend that everything’s okay. That you’ve got it all together, but you don’t. You really don’t… It’s not like I don’t see the way you’re uncomfortable around me now. You don’t want to talk about it, just pretend it’s fine and move on. But that’s not working.”  
   
 Oikawa said nothing, just poked his tongue against the inside of his cheek.  
   
 “And, you know what, Tooru?” Iwaizumi eyed him carefully. “We need to talk. If you want to pretend, or if you want everyone else to think you’ve got it all together, that’s fine. But not for me. Don’t pretend with me.”  
   
 “Hajime, don’t you get it?” Oikawa raised his chin, looking down at Iwaizumi. “Maybe you’re the one I want to pretend the most with.”  
   
 “I know that, Tooru. That’s what worries me, what scares me. What I want is for you to be honest with me.”  
   
 Oikawa’s chest squeezed. “I don’t know, if I can do that…”  
   
 “That’s okay, I know it’s not easy… but if you want me to be your boyfriend, and you want me to take you seriously, to take this relationship seriously, and to have sex with you after what happened last time…”  
   
 “Maybe you need to back off, Hajime.”  
   
 Iwaizumi looked up.  
   
 Oikawa breathed through his nose. “We’ve only been dating a couple weeks – I’m not going to throw myself open for you like that!”  
   
 “That’s fine.”  
   
 Oikawa relaxed, a little, and pushed himself against the wall, away from Iwaizumi. “Then…”  
   
 “We don’t have to rush anything, Tooru… but if you’re not ready to open yourself up to me, then you’re probably not ready to open your body to me either.”  
   
 “What the fuck do you know?” Oikawa shoved him hard, shoved him away. “Lots of people have sex without attachment. It’s not that big of a deal. Sex happens all the time, people fuck whenever!”  
   
 “Maybe, but not you.” Iwaizumi stared at him. “Not with me, at least.”  
   
 Oikawa stared, hands balling into fists. “Shut up. Just, shut up.” He moved away. “I’m leaving.”  
   
 Iwaizumi looked away. “You know I’m right.”  
   
 “I said I’m fucking leaving!”  
   
 “Okay.” Iwaizumi didn’t watch as Oikawa hastily grabbed all of his things. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Oikawa, or Skirt rather, chased through the night. He fired his gun and swung his chainsaw, ambidextrous and divine, powerful in this form – unlike reality. He tore apart beast after beast, slew monster after monster, shattered anything that got in his way. “Fuck Hajime!” He tore through a lizard and shot a bat in the face. “Fuck him!” _I’m not some useless princess._  
   
 He landed on a lamp post and frowned.  
   
  _“Nuh uh, Princess.”  
   
 Oikawa’s smile faded. He paused. His lips tugged together in a pout, but it wasn’t a mock one this time. It wasn’t cute, either: It was more of a frown. “I’m not…”_  
   
 Not a princess.  
   
 “I’m not a princess.”  
   
 He closed his eyes, tears welling in the corners of his eyes.  
   
 He looked down.  
   
 He saw the skirt that ruffled from his waist. All those who could feel the influence of Light and Dark were given power. They could not choose what that power was, or what gifts they were given. And, so, from day one he was given this. A girl’s outfit. A constant reminder that his life was, in some way, wrong.  
   
 He knew Iwaizumi was right.  
   
 As much as Oikawa wanted to fake it until he made it – a large part of it was him running from his problems.  
   
 He knew, of course he knew.  
   
 But he denied it.  
   
 He wanted to deny it.  
   
 Oikawa looked down to the people below.  
   
 There were two people walking, side by side, and Oikawa recognised them instantly: Sawamura Daichi and Sugawara Koushi. They were laughing, holding hands, having such a happy easy romance. Why? Why the fuck did they have it so easy? Oikawa lifted his gun and held the trigger at half-mast. Light swirled around the barrel, glinting at the end. As the shot was charging up, he aimed down, down at them. Why? Why did they have it so fucking easy? Why were they born with happy families, with proper bodies, with easy love? Why the _fuck_ did they have it easy?  
   
 Oikawa growled, and his finger began to shake over the trigger.  
   
 A hand moved over his, a finger slipping into the hook of the trigger.  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes widened.  
   
 Someone else’s hand pushed down on his, making him pull the trigger.  
   
 The beam shot out, a white foamy beam of pure light. It arched through the night sky, down to the city below, and crashed against the sidewalk.  
   
 Oikawa jumped off the lamp post and tossed his gun away. He landed on the lamp post across the street and looked up.  
   
  _Angel._  
   
 Angel was hovering above the lamp post where Oikawa had been.  
   
 “What the fuck do you want?”  
   
 “Firing at humans, are we? Interesting. Is that someone you know…?” Angel mused, “My, he looks a lot like me. A coincidence, I bet. Maybe I should take him hostage.”  
   
 Oikawa resummoned his gun and fired.  
   
 Angel dodged with a quick shift to the right. “Don’t do that, Tooru.”  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes widened.  
   
 “That’s right. I know your name.” His wings expanded, and the gates of light opened again.  
   
 Oikawa jumped into the air, twisting his body to dodge a couple shots. He looked around for some kind of backup, but there was nothing. Just yesterday he had made sure to tell the others to keep communication open when going out at night, and now he had failed to hear his own advice because of his anger.  
   
 Angel moved close and punched him in the gut.  
   
 Oikawa coughed blood.  
   
 Angel smiled and a gate of light appeared behind him. When he shifted away, photon blasted Oikawa in the chest.  
   
 Oikawa’s body was thrown back, he was thrown over the railing, and he fell to the streets below. He hit the asphalt with a crack and winced. His vision was hazy, eyes growing dark. Blood was in his mouth, swimming in it. But he forced himself up. His limbs shook, but he managed, somehow, and then looked up. He summoned his gun again, for the second time, and aimed it.  
   
 But Angel was nowhere to be seen.  
   
 But he could hear Angel; no, rather, he could hear Angel fighting.  
   
  _Blade._  
   
 Oikawa fell to his knees and sighed.  
   
 Angel moved away and sighed. “I really don’t like you.”  
   
 “I don’t exactly like you either.” Blade threw another sword.  
   
 Angel growled and—  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Iwaizumi wouldn’t know that Skirt was out for the same reason he was. The fight between him and Tooru upset him. He needed to blow off some steam. He knew he was right; and, yet, he felt like shit. He knew his boyfriend was… somewhat temperamental, somewhat problematic (and Iwaizumi hardly considered himself perfect, either), but he could have easily laid it down nicer, easier, better.  
   
 In a way, he was right, but he failed.  
   
 It was like when teachers knocked off a mark for getting the right answer, but using the wrong method.  
   
 He always got mad at teachers who did that; but, Iwaizumi realised (maybe too late), that in life, the method usually meant more than the answer.  
   
 He was moving through the city. When he heard a blast of photon, his attention turned. He came across the scene of Angel punching Skirt in the gut. And then, seeing Skirt go flying, he launched several blades for a surprise attack.  
   
 Only one of his swords hit, and it made Iwaizumi realise it was the first time anyone had actually damaged Angel. A blade pierced into his left shoulder and he cried out.  
   
 Iwaizumi landed and summoned his larger blade. Twisting his body in a spin, he struck with heavy momentum. Angel dodged and Iwaizumi’s strike shattered the roof tiles of the building.  
   
 After an exchange of beams and blades, Angel moved away and sighed. “I really don’t like you.”  
   
 “I don’t exactly like you either.” Iwaizumi threw another sword.  
   
 Angel growled and deflected the sword with his hand. It went spinning, down, towards Skirt.  
   
 Iwaizumi threw another sword, faster, and deflected his own blade from hitting the other Light. When he looked back up, Angel was gone. Iwaizumi jumped down and landed. “You okay?”  
   
 “Stop doing that!” Skirt yelled, “Stop trying to fucking rescue me!”  
   
 Iwaizumi stepped back. “You could say thank you.”  
   
 “Fuck you!”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Oikawa went home as fast he could after that. He switched into his pyjamas, but he was cold. He was sitting on his bathroom floor, back against the door. It was cold, and dark, and he hugged himself. He was half-tempted to go across the hall and sneak into Suga’s bed, but he didn’t want Suga to worry. Plus…  
   
 He thought of the way…  
   
 He held the gun, aimed it at Suga…  
   
 Oikawa cringed, feeling bile lick up at his throat. He covered his face, shaking his head. Oikawa knew he was creating his own problems, but he just didn’t know how to stop.


	11. Noodle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update!
> 
> * * *

 Akaashi grabbed the teapot, carefully, and poured a cup of the Chinese red tea. He put the teapot down and then offered the small round bowl-cup to the woman sitting on the other side of the table.  
   
 Kiyoko took it with a dip of her head. “Thank you.”  
   
 “It is us,” said Kenma, “That should be thanking you.”  
   
 Kiyoko doubted that, highly, but said nothing. She put the teacup in front of her and blew on it gently.  
   
 “Thank you for meeting with us,” Kenma went on, “On such… short notice.”  
   
 Kiyoko shook her head. “I’m glad to have you. I’ve noticed the activity. Not enough to generate an irregular report but…”  
   
 Kenma nodded. “You have files on every Light in the area?”  
   
 Kiyoko passed the papers forward. “Yes, though some are not as, substantial.”  
   
 “The newcomers,” mused Kenma. He flipped between Blade and Angel, but glanced to Angel. “This is the enigma I want to investigate.”  
   
 Akaashi bowed behind Kenma and turned around. He left them to talk to one another. Funny, neither Kenma nor Kiyoko were one to speak much to people they didn’t know, and yet together they were comfortable enough to have a conversation from the get-go. Akaashi amused himself with the thought as he closed the double doors and moved into the living room, which dipped down to a lower platform with sofas and a table.  
   
 Bokuto was on the sofa, reading a magazine. The cover had a shirtless man showing the world his asshole.  
   
 Akaashi scowled at it and walked closer. “If this were—”  
   
 “Oh come on,” Bokuto said in a laugh, “This stuff’s cool. You learn so many new kinks.”  
   
 “Throw it away, Koutarou.”  
   
 “Awww, you’re getting jealous, Keiji?”  
   
 “No.” Akaashi walked over and swiped his hand, slicing the magazine in half.  
   
 Bokuto looked him in the eye. “You look a little jealous.”  
   
 Akaashi did his best to keep a straight face, but the right corner of his lips tugged into a smile. “Maybe a little.”  
   
 “Come on, gimme some love.”  
   
 “No.”  
   
 Bokuto reached up and grabbed him, pulling him in.  
   
 Akaashi, graceful as ever, somehow slipped into Bokuto’s lap. When Bokuto kissed him, he kissed back, thrilling in how nothing was chaste with Bokuto. Tongue hit tongue, passion hit passion. But Akaashi pulled back, pressing a hand to Bokuto’s chest. “Please focus on the task at hand.”  
   
 “You’re my task at hand, baby.”  
   
 Akaashi looked away and hid a small laugh. “I hate how difficult it is to get angry with you.”  
   
 Bokuto, chipper, kissed his cheek. “What task at hand?”  
   
 “The forms I gave you.” Akaashi looked over his shoulder to the table, seeing the papers all filled out. He turned back to Bokuto, who was smiling like a feral.  
   
 “Oh come on, I hate paperwork but I’m not bad at it!” He kissed Akaashi’s neck. “We got a bit of time to fool around, you know?”  
   
 “Kenma and Shimizu-san are in the other room…”  
   
 “But…” Bokuto pouted. Like a flash of thunder, he went from chipper to dejected.  _“Guh…”_  
   
 Akaashi smiled and kissed his forehead, then moved his lips to his ear. “I didn’t say we couldn’t…” He felt Bokuto’s interest peak at once. “But we just have to be a little… quiet.”  
   
 Bokuto smirked. “I love you.”  
   
 “Love you too,” whispered Akaashi, before diving into another rough kiss.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 A new day was a new day. Oikawa woke up, and got up to tell his phone alarm to shut the fuck up, then threw his phone aside. He decided he’d get up when Suga came in. They almost always did that, unless they texted each other with something along the lines of ‘Heading early!’ or ‘Staying in’. But Suga didn’t come, so he ended up staying in bed for a few more hours by himself. He sighed and eventually got a text.  
   
  _[Sugawara Koushi, 1:21pm] *Worried train noises*  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 1:22pm] Overslept, not feeling too good. Staying in.  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 1:22pm] You okay?  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 1:24pm] Yeah I’m okay don’t worry  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 1:25pm] *Loving train noises*  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 1:27pm] Love yew tooo  <3  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 1:30pm] Want me to cancel club today, or take over?  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 1:32pm] could you take over for me?  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 1:32pm] *Loyal train noises* <3  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 1:33pm] ilu Kou-chan-san  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 1:33pm] Love you too, buttface.  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 1:33pm] Stfu u slut  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 1:34pm] LOL. I love you too, Tooru-chan. <3  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 1:34pm] <3 <3 <3456789_  
   
 Oikawa got out of bed, eventually, and boiled himself an egg. He could boil eggs pretty good. Sort of. And after eating them, he sighed and decided to take a shower. He threw his pyjamas in the washing machine; and, realising it was almost full, he decided to run it. Naked, he walked around his house, and eventually realised his blinds were all open. “I’m perfect. You should be lucky to see me!” he yelled to no one in particular, but eventually he took a shower.  
   
 It was nice, to be in soaking hot water.  
   
 After soap and shampoo, lather-rinse-repeat, he got out of the shower and dried himself off. Not wanting to wear clothes (real clothes, anyway), he decided to grab another pair of pyjamas. This one was a soft baby blue and had yellow stars and spaceships on it. He put that on. He had long since grown out of his alien phase, but he couldn’t deny that he looked hella fucking cute with little space stuff on him.  
   
 He decided to spend the day by himself.  
   
 He did fall asleep again, for a little bit, did some schoolwork, other stuff.  
   
 He played some video games, and got bored.  
   
 He eventually picked up a book,  _Pink Lilacs_ , which was one of his favourites. It was a light novel mystery, which was always fun, but since he knew the ending it was even more fun – he spotted all the little clues and remembered what he felt the first time he was reading it, dead set that it was the father who was the murderer – and yet, it wasn’t.  
   
 He heard door noises, a key being inserted to his door, and then the lock unlocked.  
   
 “It’s me,” called out Suga. “We’re here.”  
   
 Oikawa put his book down and looked over the back of the sofa. “We?”  
   
 “I brought someone.”  
   
 Stepping in, after Suga, was Iwaizumi, taking off his shoes.  
   
 Oikawa smiled, at once, but remembering what happened last night… “Hi.”  
   
 Iwaizumi walked over. “Hey.” He kissed the corner of Oikawa’s mouth.  
   
 Oikawa instantly kissed back.  
   
 Suga laughed as he took something out of a plastic bag. “You guys are losers. We got you some soba.” He put the microwavable takeout containers down on the counter. “I’m gonna go now, so you two take care, okay?”  
   
 Oikawa nodded. “Okay!”  
   
 Suga waved them off and left.  
   
 Oikawa turned to Iwaizumi.  
   
 Iwaizumi used two fingers to nip his cheek. “Are all your pyjamas cute as fuck?”  
   
 “Of course. They belong to me.”  
   
 Iwaizumi laughed.  
   
 Oikawa chuckled, and then pursed his lips.  
   
 “I’m sorry, Tooru.”  
   
 “No, I’m sorry.”  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled. “Want to eat now?”  
   
 Oikawa shook his head.  
   
 “Want me to put it in the fridge?”  
   
 “Yeah.”  
   
 Iwaizumi did as he said, noting how bare Oikawa’s fridge was compared to his own (which was stuffed with stuff to cook). He walked back to the T.V. room and sat on the couch next to his boyfriend. “Can we talk?”  
   
 “I… don’t want to talk, to be honest Hajime… but I know you’re right. I just. Don’t want to admit it.”  
   
 Iwaizumi stared, not sure what to say. He expected more of a conflict, more having to convince his boyfriend of his faults, but maybe not. Maybe Tooru was just someone who needed time to face themselves and their own problems.  
   
 Oikawa, not sure what to do in the silence, opened his arms like a child wanting a hug.  
   
 Iwaizumi scoffed and pulled him in.  
   
 Oikawa nuzzled Iwaizumi’s cheek. “Take me to bed. I want to cuddle.”  
   
 Iwaizumi put a hand behind Oikawa’s neck and one under his knees. He scooped him up, bridal style.  
   
 Oikawa yelped, and clutched on to him. “Iwa-chan!”  
   
 “What?” Iwaizumi smirked. “I’m not allowed treating my boyfriend like royalty?”  
   
 Blushing, Oikawa looked away. “Dork.”  
   
 Iwaizumi laughed and leaned in, kissing his cheek. “You mean so much to me… I don’t want to fight anymore.”  
   
 Oikawa nodded. “I don’t want to either…”  
   
 Iwaizumi carried Oikawa to his bedroom and laid him down gently. Then, he lay next to Oikawa, putting an arm around him, closing his eyes.  
   
 Oikawa took a deep breath, relaxing. He grabbed Iwaizumi’s hands, mostly to compare hand size, but then he pouted when he saw Iwaizumi’s nails. “The little aliens I painted are chipping off.”  
   
 “Hmmm.” Iwaizumi smiled. “Guess you’ll have to redo them, huh?”  
   
 Oikawa grinned. “Yeah. Can we have another sleepover? Did you bring clothes and stuff?”  
   
 “Yep.”  
   
 Oikawa turned and kissed him. “Good. Because I want you here.”  
   
 “I want to be here, Prince.”  
   
 Oikawa kissed him again.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Neither one of them remembered falling asleep, but lying in the sunlight, next to one another, after everything, they drifted off with ease and woke up next to one another. Oikawa felt something cold in his stomach. He knew Iwaizumi was right, he knew he avoided things, but he still didn’t know how to stop. Just because, this time, things turned out for the best it doesn’t mean that always things turn out for the best. When Oikawa got up, Iwaizumi blinked and opened his eyes. Oikawa straddled Iwaizumi’s hips and his fingers tightened to the point his hands began to shake.  
   
 Iwaizumi blinked. “What are you doing?” He sat up, slowly.  
   
 “Nothing,” there was no teasing tone. “I just… want you to see something, okay?”  
   
 “Um. Okay?”  
   
 Oikawa unbuttoned his shirt, slowly. His eyes darted around the room, not quite ready to face Iwaizumi.  
   
 “Tooru—”  
   
 “—It’s not sexual, I just.” He finished the last button and let his shirt hang loose on his shoulders before he tugged it off. “I want to show something to you.”  
   
 Iwaizumi glanced down, eyes wide. He was enamoured by the smooth skin—which he knew was soft, but wouldn’t dare touch. Not now.  
   
 Oikawa blushed and took Iwaizumi’s hand though, putting it to his chest, a couple centimetres under his nipple, where his breast used to be. “Here.” He guided the pads of Iwaizumi’s fingers over a line where the skin felt different, a little tougher?  
   
 Iwaizumi’s eyes narrowed. “What happened here?”  
   
 “Surgery.” Oikawa bit his lip. “To remove my tits.”  
   
 “Oh.” Iwaizumi blinked.  
   
 Oikawa took a deep breath, making his chest rise and fall. “I have a scar here.”  
   
 “I can barely see it, to be honest.”  
   
 “Yeah, because I got a second surgery after that. Well, not a medical surgery, but a cosmetic one. Laser. The first surgery… didn’t go quite as smoothly. I got this big, red line… and it horrified me.” Oikawa swallowed hard. “And the red line’s normal, you know? And if you do everything fine, it should fade. You’re supposed to have a good diet: Protein, zinc, vitamin C. Those help. Avoided ginger and garlic, like I should.”  
   
 Iwaizumi tilted his head. “Why?”  
   
 “Uhh, well, saw them on a list of things to avoid before and after surgery. Doctor gave me a sheet with it. The protein, zinc, and vitamin C… that I found online, so I don’t know if that’s a hundred percent true.”  
   
 “Yeah?”  
   
 “Yeah… You have to keep your scars out of the sun, for a year or something. Did that too. But I got a nasty red line, and it didn’t… fade right. I did like, silicon tape or whatever? That helped, and the doctor recommended some oil like um, what’s it called. Tanamu? Tamanu? I don’t know. Some British study showed it help. And it did, but not quite enough. All of it, still had this, disfiguring line.”  
   
 Iwaizumi looked up at him, listening to every word.  
   
 “So then I got some laser surgery, cosmetic stuff, and now it looks like there never was anything.”  
   
 “Yeah.” Iwaizumi nodded.  
   
 “But, I get freaked out, see?” Oikawa forced a smile, the corner of his eyes wet with half-tears. “The top surgery’s supposed to be like, wow, I have a guy’s body, I am a boy, a man – I don’t have tits. But I was so… horrified, so scared… of my own body, after the scarring I… I…” He took a deep breath. “So when people look at my chest, like you did… even though it’s gone… it’s like…” He suddenly laughed. “Wow, it’s like my life is a bad pun: I’m mentally scarred.”  
   
 Iwaizumi didn’t laugh.  
   
 Oikawa pursed his lips. He looked away. “Sorry.”  
   
 “Don’t be.” Iwaizumi moved in, kissing the corner of his mouth.  
   
 Oikawa smiled, closing his eyes. “Thanks.”  
   
 “If it helps, I didn’t notice—still don’t, really.”  
   
 “Yeah?”  
   
 “Yeah, and even if you did, I wouldn’t mind.”  
   
 “That’s easy to say, Hajime, but not so easy to do.”  
   
 “Scars are cool.”  
   
 “No, they really aren’t.”  
   
 Iwaizumi opened his mouth, then closed it. He moved away a bit and grabbed his shirt. “Get off a sec.”  
   
 Oikawa pulled away.  
   
 Iwaizumi pulled off his shirt. “Remember my tattoo?”  
   
 “Yeah.” Oikawa nodded.  
   
 Iwaizumi turned so his back, and his tattoo, was to Oikawa. “Down my shoulder blade.”  
   
 Oikawa reached a hand and touched his shoulder blade.  
   
 “The other one.”  
   
 “Oh, right.” Oikawa moved his hand to where the dragon tattoo started. He felt a rift, a studded feeling, almost like leather. It moved down Iwaizumi’s entire back, completely covered by the tattoo. “What happened?”  
   
 “A car accident… same one that took my mom.”  
   
 Oikawa froze for a second, drawing similarities between them. He swallowed hard and nodded. “But how did you…?”  
   
 “I don’t know. A sharp piece of metal scratched me down, I think.”  
   
 “Is it weird… that I think it’s cool?”  
   
 “Scars are cool.” Iwaizumi smiled. “Sometimes we want to cover them up, but they’re not bad, are they?”  
   
 “No.” Oikawa leaned down and kissed his shoulder blade. “I was wondering how you got a tattoo, you’re only seventeen.”  
   
 “My mom had the same tat’,” Iwaizumi admitted, “I loved it as a kid. Still do. I told her, I told her I wanted the exact same one when I was older.” He smiled. “It’s a memory, for her.”  
   
 Oikawa swallowed hard and put his arms around Iwaizumi, hugging him tight.  
   
 “And you?” Iwaizumi looked over his shoulder. “Isn’t it like… Aren’t they not supposed to start transitioning, until you’re finished puberty? Surgery, hormone replacements… I don’t know, did some research online.”  
   
 Oikawa nodded. “It’s different everywhere, some places have hormone blockers or whatever. But when you have money like my mom does, and you don’t care, you can have it.”  
   
 “You don’t care?”  
   
 “Not me, I mean… her.”  
   
 “Her?”  
   
 Oikawa nodded. It was clear that was all he was going to say. “You know, it doesn’t bother me, being trans, anymore. Not usually.”  
   
 Iwaizumi kissed his cheek. “Yeah?”  
   
 “I used to be really dysphoric.”  
   
 “Dysphoric?”  
   
 “Um. Dysphoria. Like gender dysphoria.”  
   
 “Dysphoria?”  
   
 “You know the word euphoria, euphoric? Crazy happy beyond all happy?”  
   
 “Opposite of that?”  
   
 “Yep. It really sucks. Think of it like anxiety, distress, depression, all dressed to the nines. But about gender.” Oikawa nuzzled Iwaizumi’s shoulder. “Everyone’s different, but I was super dysphoric about my boobs, but not really about my cunt.”  
   
 Iwaizumi twitched, looking away.  
   
 “What?”  
   
 “That’s… a, crude word.”  
   
 “What? Cunt? It’s just cunt. Cunt!”  
   
 “Stop saying it!”  
   
 “No way! It’s a cute word!”  
   
 “It’s not cute.”  
   
 “Cunt! It even has the same beginning as cute! Cunt is a cute word. I don’t care if other people use the word as an insult—it shouldn’t be. And even if it is, it should be as normal as calling someone a dick. Why does everyone have to be so hush-hush about pussy. It’s like, if I said ‘Yay! It’s my cunt!’ you have to say ‘Yay! It’s your cunt!’, okay?”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s cheeks burned and he shook his head. “I don’t want to say it.”  
   
 “Yay, it’s my cunt!”  
   
 Iwaizumi said nothing.  
   
 “I said: Yay! It’s my cunt!”  
   
 “Yay!” Iwaizumi forced himself, laughing, “It’s your cunt!”  
   
 “See? Cute word.” He kissed Iwaizumi’s cheek. “What was I talking about?”  
   
 “Dysphoria.”  
   
 “Oh. Right.” Oikawa cleared his throat. “I hated my tits… Because once they grew out, I couldn’t… Well, it’s not that I was ‘pretending to be a boy’, but what the hell did middle school kids know about sex and gender? So they’d see me as a girl if they grew out. My cunt, now that I didn’t care about.”  
   
 Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow. “Really?”  
   
 “Mhm. Some people do. Everyone’s different. Maybe it’s because I’m a bottom bitch. But I don’t know.” Oikawa shrugged. “I always… I always loved the way guys go crazy for pussy. So it’s like, yay! It’s my cunt!”  
   
 “Yay! It’s your cunt!”  
   
 Oikawa burst into laughter, and so did Iwaizumi. Iwaizumi covered his face out of embarrassment, while Oikawa pulled away and rolled on the bed laughing.  
   
 Iwaizumi shook his head and moved to roll next to him. “Hey.”  
   
 Oikawa grinned. “Yeah?”  
   
 “You’re beautiful.”  
   
 Oikawa chuckled. “Thanks, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “No, I just…”  
   
 Oikawa blinked. “What?”  
   
 “I just meant. You’re.” Iwaizumi put a hand over his face again. “Beautiful. In every way. How much you care about others… me, Suga, your kouhais. How you’re adorable, and you always think of something cute and witty to say. How you have friends that mean the world to you, and how you mean the world to them. You’re just…”  
   
 Oikawa bit his lip, trying to stifle all the fucking butterflies.  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled. He leaned over and kissed him. “Tooru?”  
   
 “Yeah?”  
   
  _I love you,_  he wanted to say.  _Say it. Say it._  But he blushed, chickening out. “Just, come here. You fuck.”  
   
 “Huh?”  
   
 “Just cuddle me and shut up. You stupid shit.”  
   
 Oikawa laughed, loud, and snuggled the fuck out of his boyfriend, shirtless and chest to chest, rolling along the soft covers.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “Suga-senpai!”  
   
 Suga was walking home. It was dark, very late at night. The moon hung high and even the stars could be seen past the bright city lights. He looked over his shoulder. “Shouyou?”  
   
 Hinata ran up to him with a big smile. “Hey! What are you doing out here?”  
   
 “Just a late night walk.” Suga smiled. “Not sure why I’m here, though…” He looked around, a little confused.  
   
 “Huh? Not sure?”  
   
 Suga laughed. “I just started walking, thinking about stuff… Maybe I blacked out.”  
   
 “That’s not good, Suga-senpai!”  
   
 “I do it all the time; ask Tooru.” He patted Hinata’s hair and gave it a little ruffle, which made Hinata smile and hold his hands up to his chest as he giggled. Suga laughed. “What are you doing out here?”  
   
 Hinata blinked and pointed the way he came, up the tall building to the shrine. “Went to see a friend!”  
   
 Suga looked at the shrine, his eyes widening ever so slightly.  
   
  _Kuroo, a being who said he was born from Anfaang – the abyss of time, swirling black Dark – had told him plainly. “Stay away from that shrine, little one. Just trust me on this. Okay?”_  
   
 “Suga?”  
   
 Suga blinked, glancing back to him. “Sorry, I haven’t slept well,” he lied. “You were visiting a friend at the shrine?”  
   
 “Yeah! It’s the Tsukishima shrine. One of my classmates – the grumpy one with glasses – helps me study every once in a while.”  
   
 “Oh. That’s good.”  
   
 “Although…” He blushed a bit and wiggled his feet. “I don’t know if we’re really studying, since I’m more or less trying to flirt with him, but he mostly laughs at me?”  
   
 Suga chuckled. “I see.  _That_  kind of studying, huh?” He winked.  
   
 Hinata squealed. “No! Not… not yet, anyway. Um… do you know any good tips for making boys like you?”  
   
 “Um… fake it until you make it?”  
   
 “Huh?”  
   
 Suga laughed. “Sorry, that’s Tooru’s advice. Ask him?”  
   
 “I was planning to! I was talking to Kagey—” He turned, suddenly, looking around. “Kageyama, but he’s no help!”  
   
 Suga tilted his head. “Is it really true what they say? Talk about Kageyama and he suddenly appears?”  
   
 “Yeah, it’s freaky!”  
   
 A third voice asked, “What’s freaky?”  
   
 Suga and Hinata jumped at the same time, seeing someone looming over them.  
   
 Kageyama tilted his head.  
   
 Hinata jumped back, landing with his legs in a half-squat, and he pointed at his best friend. “What are you doing here?”  
   
 “Groceries.” Kageyama lifted plastic bags in his hands. “Dad forgot to get kelp and mushrooms. We’re making stew. Went to get it.” He turned to Sugawara. “Hello Senpai. I live around here.”  
   
 Suga gave a little wave.  
   
 Hinata gasped. “Ohhhhh, can I have dinner at your house tonight?”  
   
 “No!”  
   
 “Please?”  
   
 “No! Get your own family!”  
   
 “I have one but they don’t make your dad’s stew!”  
   
 “Get away from me!”  
   
 “I’m asking your parents when I get there!” Hinata huffed.  
   
 Kageyama huffed right back at him.  
   
 Sugawara burst into a giggling fit, covering his face with his hands. “Sorry, but you guys are cute.”  
   
 “Not cute!” Hinata yelled, “Well he’s not, but I probably am!”  
   
 “You sound like Oikawa-san!” Kageyama retorted, “That’s not cute at all!”  
   
 “I know you’re not, but what am I? Cute!”  
   
 Suga laughed more, giving them a little wave as he walked off. “It’s good for best friends to fight,” he reminded them. He looked up at the sky, wondering how Tooru was doing.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “Iwa-chan… I’m hungry.”  
   
 “I’ll make something.”  
   
 “But I don’t have anything to cook.”  
   
 “Hm… can we order food?”  
   
 “Mmm, yum. Sounds good. We can order strippers, and order the strippers to order us pizza.”  
   
 “And pay the strippers with pizza.”  
   
 “And pay the strippers with pizza.”  
   
 Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. “Why order strippers when you’ll happily throw your underwear across the room for me?”  
   
 “Good point.” Oikawa chuckled. He was resting on Iwaizumi’s bare chest, chin over his heart. “Maybe I want big burly strippers.”  
   
 Iwaizumi flexed his arms. “I think I’ll be better than whatever they can give us.”  
   
 Oikawa giggled. “Your big bara arms.”  
   
 “Don’t say that.”  
   
 “Mmm, I’m happy you work out.” He lifted his head and put his hands on Iwaizumi’s biceps. “You’re like my big Iwa-bear.”  
   
 “Stop.”  
   
 “Iwa-bear!”  
   
 “Stop right now.”  
   
 “Or more like  _Iwa-bara, am I right?”_  
   
 “I will hurt you.”  
   
 Oikawa snorted and kissed him.  
   
 Iwaizumi moved one of his hands and flicked Oikawa’s forehead.  
   
 “Ow!”  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled. “Get off. I wanna get up. Gonna order food.”  
   
 Oikawa rolled off. “Get soba!”  
   
 Iwaizumi was halfway through getting up when he paused. “Oh, we have soba in the fridge.”  
   
 “Oh!” Oikawa sat up. “You and Koushi got me soba.”  
   
 “It was Suga’s idea.”  
   
 “He’s very resourceful. You’re good too: You have arms.”  
   
 Iwaizumi got up and offered Oikawa a hand. He pulled Oikawa out of bed. Oikawa put his shirt back on, buttoning up his pyjama top. Iwaizumi stayed shirtless. He just didn’t want to get dressed; plus, he had to admit, he liked the way Oikawa eyed him. Iwaizumi warmed up the food in the microwave and then grabbed chopsticks. The food came in little rectangular boxes, so they ate out of those.  
   
 “Oh my God…” Oikawa moaned as he ate. “This is so good!”  
   
 “You’re a loser. Such a loser.”  
   
 “Of course I am. But your loser, right?”  
   
 “Of course.”  
   
 They sat across each other on stools at the kitchen island counter. Oikawa leaned over and kissed Iwaizumi.  
   
 “Ew, you taste like soba.”  
   
 “That’s a blessing, Iwa-chan. We should pray to Jesus or something.”  
   
 “‘m not religious.”  
   
 “Me neither.”  
   
 “Then why don’t we leave Jesus alone?”  
   
 “Good point. That’s probably sacrilegious.”  
   
 “And rude.”  
   
 “Yeah. I’m sorry, Jesus.”  
   
 Iwaizumi snorted.  _Fuck, I love him._  He paused, just to stare at his boyfriend.  
   
 Oikawa meeped as he tried to get a rather long, tricky noodle into his mouth. He had a big, happy smile, and his eyes were bright.  
   
 “I love you.”  
   
 Oikawa froze, the tricky noodle finally caught between his lips was hanging out of his mouth, brown eyes wide, a deer in the headlights of love, which pretty much meant he looked like a fucking idiot but Hajime was a hundred percent sure it was love.


	12. Good

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Just a heads up. I'll be working on a Free! fic during NaNoWriMo (that thing where people try to write 50k in November), and as such I won't be updating Guns and Roses during that month. Sorry. ;.; But come December, I'll be thrashing updates at you guys again!!
> 
> * * *

 Oikawa Tooru was one of those possibly lucky possibly unlucky people who had really cute bed hair. His hair was a big mess. It looked like a mop, with some of it going fwoosh one way, and some of it going fwoosh another way; and, yet, magically, it seemed to always be the same every morning. Funny how that worked. Nonetheless, his hair kind of looked like a mop – especially when he just woke up. That’s when bedhead was at its peak. Before he went to school, he could easily comb it into the right direction so it was a very orderly mop, but right now it was not orderly – it was a messed up mop.  
   
 He wore light blue peejays with stars and rocket ships and space ships and other fun little twinkles on them, despite being a seventeen year old male.  
   
 Microwave-reheated soba noodles, hanging from his mouth.  
   
 Oikawa Tooru stared, with his mouth full, cheeks puffed up, across the table.  
   
 Iwaizumi stared back at him, with a big smile.  
   
 Oikawa tried to reply. Albeit, he did so while forgetting he had food in his mouth, so he choked, quite loud, and grabbed his throat. He chewed quickly, then swallowed.  
   
 Iwaizumi poured him a glass of water. “Here.”  
   
 Oikawa drank it in one go, slamming the cup down on the island kitchen counter. He stared at Iwaizumi for a long minute, then tilted his head. “What?”  
   
 “I love you,” Iwaizumi said; the feeling, warm, pouring, growing, made him laugh. “I said I love you, Prince.”  
   
 “Oh.” Oikawa’s cheeks reddened and his lips wiggled together in a shy little smile. “Really?”  
   
 “Yeah.” Iwaizumi smiled as well. “Holy shit, yeah.”  
   
 Oikawa grinned. “Really?”  
   
 “Yeah.”  
   
 Oikawa bolted out of his chair and ran around the island counter. He grabbed Iwaizumi’s shoulders. “Like, actually really?”  
   
 Iwaizumi chuckled and leaned in, kissing him.  
   
 Oikawa kissed back, hearing angel fucking choirs in his ears. When he pulled away, he kept his eyes closed. “I love you too.”  
   
 Iwaizumi fumbled his hands together. “Yeah?”  
   
 “Really!” Oikawa laughed, kissing him again. “Holy shit, yes! Yes, I do!”  
   
 After another kiss, Iwaizumi moved his head to the side. “Stop, you taste like soba. It’s gross.”  
   
 “No, I taste delicious! One more, please?”  
   
 Iwaizumi couldn’t help himself; he grabbed Oikawa’s face and brought their lips together.  
   
 Oikawa kissed back, closing his eyes and pouring his heart into it. When they pulled away he couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh my God, Hajime, I love you.”  
   
 “Yeah, you told me.”  
   
 “I know, but, but.” Oikawa pouted. “I love you. And you…” He hugged Iwaizumi tight, nuzzling his neck. When he felt Iwaizumi’s big arms around him he smiled. “And you like me… you actually like me.”  
   
 “I love you,” he corrected.  
   
 “It’s real.” Oikawa nuzzled his neck.  
   
 Iwaizumi blinked. “Real?”  
   
 “I just, it’s real… Our relationship is real… You know? You’re not… using me, or faking it, not making some big joke out of me…”  
   
 Iwaizumi probably would have been offended, but he knew it was Oikawa. With all that insecurity and creativity, he didn’t dare ask what other scenarios Oikawa’s beautiful awful mind came up with. So he did what he thought was best: He hugged Oikawa tight. He kissed the side of his head. “Never. Not you, never you.”  
   
 “Ugh.” Oikawa shuddered, pulling away. “I feel so, ugh, disgusting, for worrying about something like th—”  
   
 “It’s not your fault.”  
   
 “But—”  
   
 “Sh. You can’t control it.”  
   
 “Hajime.”  
   
 “Finish your soba, dumbass.”  
   
 Oikawa stared at him for a long time. He kissed him quickly then hugged him again. “Just one more minute.”  
   
 “We can cuddle after, I promise. I’m not going anywhere tonight, and we’re actually on top of our homework for once. I legit have nothing to do but pay attention to you, so just go eat your soba. After, I promise.”  
   
 Oikawa pulled away and nodded.  
   
 They began eating again, Oikawa sitting next to Iwaizumi instead of across.  
   
 “I’m kind of relieved,” said Iwaizumi.  
   
 Oikawa blinked. “Relieved?”  
   
 “I’ve been wanting to say it, for a while. A long while. I just, wanted to make sure. I loved you, you know, back then…”  
   
 “You mean, summer camp?”  
   
 Iwaizumi nodded.  
   
 Oikawa laughed, pretending his cheeks weren’t bright red. “Love’s a pretty strong word for twelve year olds.”  
   
 “I know, but I loved you.” He poked his noodles with his wooden chopsticks. “I know I did.”  
   
 Oikawa smiled, attention wholly on Iwaizumi, away from his food. “Yeah?”  
   
 “Yeah… And when I saw you again, holy shit, Tooru, it just… It all came back. It hit me. Right in the face. I just, all those feelings… And I told myself, that, I don’t know, maybe you could be different… maybe you changed, maybe I changed, maybe it wouldn’t… it wouldn’t, couldn’t work out. You know? I wanted to make sure I was falling in love with you, the real you, not the idea of you, not just falling in love with the fact that you came back in my life. But you.”  
   
 Oikawa listened, not daring to say another word not now.  
   
 “But then I realised… It’s just. All the reasons I really, honestly loved about you, every little thing about you… Your shy smile, the one you make when you don’t have ulterior motives – and don’t say it, you do often enough – and your quick mind, and your quicker mouth. Your sense of humour. The way you get so… passionate about things, like the world itself has a heart and it’s beating and you can feel it… Like there’s something other people can’t see, but you see it and you want to share it, and how when I’m with you the world has so many more colours, and just… Every reason I loved you for was still there, still a part of you. I still love all those things about you.”  
   
 Oikawa grinned. “Tooru’s the same Tooru!”  
   
 “No.” Iwaizumi shook his head. “You changed a lot too.”  
   
 Oikawa’s grin faded. His shoulders tightened.   
   
 “You’re not as shy. You’ve… completely embraced yourself. You’re so, so different.”  
   
 Oikawa tilted his head. “And what was that like?”  
   
 “It was, well… It was, well, is, it’s… fun.” Iwaizumi looked at him. “I got the chance to fall in love with you all over again, for different reasons.”  
   
 Oikawa’s cheeks warmed, and he looked away. “Iwa-chan… I think—”  
   
 “Tooru I love you but you’re about to ruin the moment, so don’t say anything. Not a damn word.”  
   
 Oikawa snorted, and then pouted, pretending to be mad as he furrowed his brows. “I was gonna start saying super nice things about you too!”  
   
 “Nah, I’ll pass.”  
   
 “Huh? Then why give all those compliments to me?”  
   
 “Because you second guess yourself, I guess.” Iwaizumi shrugged. “Anyone can say ‘I love you’, but nobody can bullshit concrete reasons.”  
   
 “I think lots of people can do that…”  
   
 “Maybe,” he agreed. “But I can’t.”  
   
 “No.” Oikawa smiled. “You really can’t.”  
   
 Iwaizumi laughed.  
   
 Oikawa wiggled his feet which dangled from the bar stools. “So, you said nice things because I’m self-conscious… Is that a compliment, Iwa-chan?”  
   
 “Tooru.” Iwaizumi leaned over, kissing his cheeks. “I said nice things because you’re the type of person who enjoys hearing them. And if that’s a way to make you happy, and I sure as fuck want to make you happy, so…”  
   
 “I really do, utterly love you, Hajime.” Oikawa had a gleam in his eye. “Wanna know why?”  
   
 “No.”  
   
 “It’s a very good reason!”  
   
 “I’m going to regret this. Why?”  
   
 “Because.” Oikawa held up a finger. “Iwa-chan is dumb!”  
   
 Iwaizumi had a hint of anger when he asked, “Huh!?”  
   
 Oikawa chuckled, but it sounded more like a giggle. “Because of how honest you are, and straightforward.” That finger sticking up in the air did a little wag. “No ulterior motives, ever – really my opposite, here.”  
   
 Iwaizumi snorted.  
   
 “But, you’re honest… maybe to a fault.” Oikawa put his hands in his lap. “You’ve got a good sense of, just, you… and of right and wrong, and you’re not afraid to call me out on my shit.”  
   
 “Is that a big one?”  
   
 Oikawa’s smile became strained. “The biggest one.”  
   
 Iwaizumi bit his lip.  
   
 “I’m sure you know, Iwa-chan… Well, I don’t know. No point beating around the bush, especially since I shave. I have some, self-destructive tendencies. Sometimes my biggest enemy is really, just… me.” His feet stopped dangling, pressing together and staying still. “But I feel safe when I’m with you.” He lowered his head, looking away. “Like…”  
   
 “Like I’ll catch you?”  
   
 “Nah, well… maybe more like… Maybe more like, if you try to catch me, I doubt you’ll reach me in time. I doubt anyone can. You’re more like, um… I guess if I went, and lost myself somehow, lost my way… you’d come, and find me, and bring me home. You’d pick me up, dust me off, and get me walking again…” Oikawa bit his lip. He gave a meek little shrug. “I don’t know… maybe that’s dumb.”  
   
 “Maybe,” said Iwaizumi, very softly, before he placed a kiss Oikawa’s cheek.  
   
 Oikawa blushed and then pouted. “You got sauce on my face, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “Think of it as soba perfume.”  
   
 “Ooo, kiss me more.”  
   
 “That’s disgusting.” Iwaizumi laughed. He grabbed a tissue and wiped Oikawa’s cheek.  
   
 Oikawa kissed him. “I love you.”  
   
 “I love you too.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Suga got up the next morning, before his alarm went off. He stepped into the bathroom, expecting to take a longer than normal shower; but, ten minutes into the warm water running over him, he heard the shrill of his alarm and whined. He got out, grabbing a towel and quickly drying himself so he could turn off his alarm before it woke up his dad. His dad went in an hour later than Suga did, but usually came back later as well.  
   
 After drying himself off, he looked in the mirror and found his hair was longer than he thought it was. He grew it out a bit over the winter. It was just long enough to put in a little bun, but he made note to make an appointment with his hair dresser.  
   
 He pulled out a clean pair of his uniform and laid it on the bed. He wore a pair of baby blue boxers, with little stars on them – Oikawa had bought him that for his sixteenth birthday, so “When a guy comes to fuck you you’re wearing something super cute!” Or something. Suga laughed at the thought.  
   
 He put on his uniform.  
   
 He looked at the mirror.  
   
 The pastel baby blue colours looked great on him.  
   
 He did a little twirl. “I am cute,” he told himself.  
   
  _Fake it until you make it, Kou-chan!_  
   
 Suga laughed. “Tooru, you’re amazing.”  
   
 He had a boyfriend. Daichi. Daichi, his boyfriend. Well, they were dating; he didn’t know if they were really boyfriends yet, but they were dating. That was the first step. Two dates together, and Daichi promised him many more. Suga wasn’t sure Daichi liked him, simply because he wasn’t sure about much. He was self-conscious, if he had to be honest. That’s probably why he understood Oikawa so well, why they related to each other, formed a wonderful, blooming friendship.  
   
  _“In another universe,”_  Suga had said once,  _“We would be a perfect gay couple.”_  
   
 They were just friends, but as close as brothers. It was a strange thought, that they met that night. Well, no, they had met before, but they were just faces that passed each other by in the hallway, one of the many that people will forget about as they go on with the rest of their lives. Until that one day.  
   
 The fireworks in the sky, the people whirling around, excitement in the air from the festival.  
   
 Suga sitting alone on the steps, eyes watery and tears falling.  
   
 It had been a hard day for him. His parents had gotten him a dog when he was born, and they had grown up together. But humans would live to eighty, dogs… not so much. He had lived a full long life, that dog, but that morning was his last.  
   
 Oikawa was a boy in his class. He knew that much. Some people said he was a girl, or something, but he said he was a boy and he was in the boy’s gym class, so he figured the people saying he was a girl were just making stuff up. He had never talked to Oikawa, really. He remembered having to hand out sheets, or maybe something for cleanup, but no – he had never truly talked to Oikawa.  
   
 Still, Oikawa stopped, asked him what was wrong.  
   
 Suga looked up, eyes wide with tears.  
   
 Oikawa was wearing a kimono, for the school festival. It was dark navy, with bright yellow stars. Lots of girls wore them, guys too but not as many. Suga had always wanted to wear one of the yukatas – the thinner summer kimonos. But Oikawa was there, in front of him, asking him what was wrong. Suga couldn’t reply. Oikawa dropped down, sitting beside him, opening a box of chocolates, saying they could share. Oikawa promised he’d feel better after some yummy chocolates. He was right: He felt better and they were yummy. Oikawa didn’t press the issue, but eventually Suga opened up.  
   
 Oikawa knew how to listen.  
   
 For all the people who said Oikawa was loud and obnoxious, Suga knew they were right, but he also knew that just because he was loud didn’t mean he didn’t know when or how to listen.  
   
 Oikawa knew how to listen.  
   
 Suga poured his heart out to this stranger. A classmate, but a stranger.  
   
 It was hard for Suga to talk, to open up. He was alone a lot. He didn’t have anyone, not like that. There was a rumour going around that he cried a lot (which wasn’t true). People talked behind his back, about how he had ugly old women hair. Oikawa didn’t care. After that evening, Oikawa would call Suga’s hair gorgeous and Suga would think he was joking, until he saw the way Oikawa looked at him, like he was worth looking at. Oikawa never cared about rumours, or anything. Suga wouldn’t know Oikawa never cared for rumours because they also said things about him. Different things, different words, different rumours, but they all had the same effect on Oikawa, as it did Suga. Suga didn’t know; he wouldn’t know until much later.  
   
 Suga looked in the mirror.  
   
 Now he knew, but back then…  
   
 Oikawa had walked him home and promised they’d spend time together.  
   
 Suga knew Oikawa didn’t believe in fate or destiny, but Suga had to wonder. Without their dog and with Suga about to go to Aoba Johsai soon—which was in the heart of the city—his parents decided to find an apartment downtown. He ended up being right across from Oikawa. It was the catalyst they needed to bump into each other and talk and spend time together and ask each other to come over on whims. When Suga introduced Oikawa to his parents, they liked him right away, and within a month they practically adopted him.  
   
  _“Can you believe that boy’s parents just left him alone? As if he’s supposed to have it all figured it out by himself? You tell that Tooru he can come over whenever he wants, you hear me Koushi? It doesn’t matter if he just wants a bowl of soup or a hug or some company, our door is always open to him. Give him one of the spare keys!”_  
   
 Suga looked in the mirror, thinking about how much his life had changed in a couple years.  
   
 He flipped open his phone, sending a message to Tooru, telling him he’ll be going on ahead.  
   
 He didn’t know what had happened between Oikawa and Iwaizumi, but apparently things had fucked up even more than before. Iwaizumi had told him, after school, that he had fucked up. He had guilt all over his face, and Suga knew – even if the jury was still out on this one – that Iwaizumi wanted what was best for Oikawa. So, Suga offered him a chance last night. Suga still didn’t know if Iwaizumi was good enough for Oikawa… or if he was good for Oikawa at all. Noticing you fucked up and having the power to fix it are two different things—but ultimately knowing how not to fuck up should be the goal.  
   
 Suga knew it was no overnight skill, and so he knew it was no overnight judgement.  
   
  _“He just, Tooru just… He pushed me away, all of a sudden. Like a wall just formed between us… I know it’s my fault, I know I should have eased the thought into it, but he was practically… Ugh.”_  
   
 Suga didn’t hold it against him.  
   
 His best friend wasn’t problematic, but he had problematic tendencies.  
   
 Suga left the apartment and walked to the train station. He put his bag on his lap, but after a couple stops he noticed an elderly man get on. He got out of his seat, offering it to the older man. The man tried to refuse, but Suga said something along the lines of “I wasn’t using it anyway”. That made the man crack up and he asked what that even meant. Suga, flustered, felt his words fail him as he fished for an excuse, his hand opening and closing as he tried to make words happen, but he eventually had to admit he didn’t know. The man took the seat, with a big smile on his lips, and Suga grinned, reaching for one of the rings hanging above to steady himself.  
   
 He glanced to the side, noting someone looking at him.  
   
 Daichi was on the other side of the tram, but he gave a wave.  
   
 Suga felt warms flood his heartbeat and he waved back.  
   
 When they got off, Daichi pulled him into a hug, and Sugawara squeaked.  
   
 A hot rush, young love, cherry blossoms.  
   
 “Sorry!” Daichi blushed, backing away. “Was that too much?”  
   
 A flood of butterflies, of heat, of warm dopamine.  
   
 “N-No.” Suga shook his head. “I just, I’m sorry. I wasn’t expecting it. Let’s do that again.”  
   
 Daichi laughed and hugged him tight.  
   
 Rush, flood, thrill.  
   
 Suga hugged back, taking in the scent, the feel, the everything of Daichi.  
   
 Daichi pulled away. “I’ve got to run if I want to make it for morning practice… Can’t be late if I’m the captain, right?”  
   
 “I’ll see you in class.” Suga dipped his head.  
   
 Daichi waved him off and started jogging.  
   
 Suga grinned. Remembering he didn’t pack lunch, he walked to the convenience store. He saw some students chit chatting, he knew their names. Hinata was hard to miss, with his bright orange hair and loud as fuck bwahs and gwahs. The one he was talking to – Tsuki, if he remembered right, Tsukishima – was telling him to shut up and keep it down, but when Hinata grabbed Tsuki, and Tsuki got mad, he didn’t actually push him away. Suga smiled.  
   
 There were two others, too, also second years.  
   
 Kageyama, and… Yamaguchi.  
   
 Kageyama, who was more or less the prime member of the “Shut the fuck up Hinata” squad, was distracted over choosing a milk drink with Yamaguchi. Apparently there was a 2-for-1 special today, but they had to be the same flavour, so the two of them were trying to save some cash by buying matching drinks.  
   
 Suga didn’t exactly want to say hi. He just… It wasn’t that he didn’t like them, he just didn’t want to. Not today. He slipped between the aisles. He glanced at the sandwiches and pouted. They were out of the ones he liked. He considered eating at the cafeteria, but if he remembered right… the special today was going to be the pork sandwich special. There was a lot of meat, and quite a fatty cut of meat too. It wasn’t popular with most girls, and it wasn’t popular with Suga either.  
   
 Maybe that’s why the convenience store had emptied out on the healthier options.  
   
 Suga sighed.  _Maybe I should just suck it up and eat one of these?_  He eyed the high school favourite, the “Rice sandwich” and pouted.  _Why didn’t I just pack lunch last night? We have leftovers too._  He sighed again. “Maybe I should just skip lunch…” Without thinking, he pinched his stomach. Was he gaining weight? He did eat all that popcorn, and that cake…  
   
 He half pondered skipping lunch; if anyone asked, he could say he snacked on something substantial during class very secretly because he got hungry.  
   
   
 When he got to school—“Kou-chan!”  
   
 “Toor—?” He barely had time to turn before Oikawa tackled him. He tried not to fall over and hugged his best friend back. “Hey!”  
   
 “Hey!” Oikawa kissed his cheek, a little too close to his mouth.  
   
 “Tooru!”  
   
 “What?” Oikawa laughed, stars were burning brilliant in his eyes, his whole body seemed as light as a feather; “We do that all the time, right?”  
   
 “I know.” Suga smiled. “But, I don’t know… I’m dating Daichi, and his friends might see, and they might take it the wrong way?”  
   
 “Fine, fine.” Oikawa pulled away, just a bit. “What’s up?”  
   
 “Nothing.” Suga sighed happily. He paused, cocking his head to the side. He reached over, seeing a slight bruise on Oikawa’s arm. “What’s this?” He poked it.  
   
 “Ouch, yeah.” Oikawa thought about when he rolled along the ground after Angel had thrown him like a ragdoll. He blinked the thoughts away. “I just hurt myself because I’m a dumb klutz. Isn’t that cute?”  
   
 Suga’s eyes narrowed. “That’s not from… Iwaizumi-san, is it?”  
   
 “Huh…? Oh!  _No._  Of course not!”  
   
 Suga stared.  
   
 Oikawa sighed. “Don’t be an idiot, Koushi. He didn’t hurt me. I’d kick his ass if he did! You know I would.”  
   
 “Okay.” Suga kept staring.  
   
 “What? What is it? You don’t believe me?”  
   
 “It’s not…” Suga shifted, uncomfortably. “It’s not, the first time… you know, you just have bruises on you.”  
   
 “I fall over a lot!”  
   
 “I’ve never seen you fall over, Tooru.”  
   
 “Koushi—”  
   
 “Tooru,” Suga whispered. “Sometimes…” He wondered if he should say it or not, but seeing the pointed look from Oikawa, he knew he had backed himself in a corner. “Sometimes I get the feeling that you… that you, you’re more than what you say you are. You do more than… what you say you do. We’re best friends, and we’ve been best friends for years now… I mean, even back then I knew…” Suga looked away. “I knew you were keeping secrets from me, but… You are keeping secrets from me, aren’t you?”  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes widened, eyebrows shooting straight up. “I… don’t know, what you’re talking ab—”  
   
 “Stop it.” Suga broke away from him. Students walked by, not sensing the strange feeling that seemed to pour between them. Another river, widening, slowly, but widening nonetheless. A black flood, cold, acidic. “I’m not… I’m not stupid,” he whispered. “You know? So don’t think I am. I don’t know what it is you’re doing, but it always feels like there’s something more, something you’re not telling me. You juggle your academics with friends, with boyfriends, with clubs, but there are always times when you can’t explain where you were to me, and it feels like you’re doing something else.”  
   
 “Koushi—”  
   
 “Let me speak!” he raised his voice, just a bit, some people turned. His eyes darted to the floor for a few seconds, and people lost interest. He looked back up. “You make things up. Sometimes I ask where you were, and you’ll tell me with someone or some place. I don’t mean to snoop… but it scares me. A lot of the time… your stories don’t add up. I don’t know what you’re doing, but it bothers me…”  
   
 Oikawa swallowed hard.  
   
 “Don’t hide secrets from me.”  
   
 “Kou-chan, really.” He smiled. “I don’t know what you’re…”  
   
 Suga closed his eyes, turning away.  
   
 Oikawa bit his lip.  
   
 “You know what?” Suga took a deep breath. “Forget it.” He tried to walk by, but Oikawa caught his arm. “Please forget it; I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…” He tugged his arm away and kept walking.  
   
 Oikawa ran after him. “Wait, Koushi!”  
   
 “Forget it, okay? Just.” Suga turned and stared at him. “I’m sorry, okay? Just. Just forget it.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 In class, Oikawa was relieved Iwaizumi had the seat between him and his best friend. He had no doubt Suga felt the same way. He tried to think of what he could say, what excuse he could make up, but he was starting to see the holes in his usual tactics. The only one that didn’t seem to fall through was the calling his mom one, and he never liked playing that card. Suga knew she didn’t call  _that_  often. Halfway through class, he tried to glance to Suga, but Iwaizumi was in the way. Plus, Suga was just taking notes, as Iwaizumi was.  
   
 He focused on Iwaizumi instead.  
   
 He thought back to last night, sleeping next to Iwaizumi and waking up next to him feeling so relaxed, so at peace. Memories filled him, warm and fluttery, but they had a cold bite to them, a bittersweet tang that left a moldy, sour taste in his mouth.  
   
  _Will I have to keep secrets like that from Hajime too?_  
   
 Oikawa looked forward.  
   
  _Will he start realising I’m lying to him too?_  
   
 Oikawa silently took a deep breath.  
   
  _Will he hate me for it too?_  
   
 He realised, about four hours into the lecture, that he had not taken note of a single thing. He hadn’t even noticed they were on math, while open on his desk was his notes for literature – two subjects ago. He pulled out his agenda and made note to revise everything from today. He noticed Iwaizumi a little too focused, little too overly concentrated on the math lecture so he made note to revise that too, for his boyfriend’s sake.  
   
  _I will have to lie to him too._  
   
 When it was lunch, Suga got up and left rather quickly. Both Iwaizumi and Daichi had been stunned by it. When Daichi looked at him, Oikawa did his best to look equally surprised. Daichi pulled out his phone and probably sent him a text or something.  
   
 “Hey,” said Iwaizumi.  
   
 “Iwa-chan,” Oikawa chirped up, forcing a smile. “Let’s get soba after school.”  
   
 Iwaizumi blinked. “Again?”  
   
 “Or… not. If you don’t want.”  
   
 “We can go if you want, I’m just a little soba’d out.”  
   
 “Oh.” Oikawa smiled. “It doesn’t matter where. I just want to get food with you, okay?”  
   
 “Okay.” Iwaizumi eyed him. Students moved in and out of the classroom. Iwaizumi cocked his head. “What’s up?”  
   
 “Nothing.” Oikawa fiddled with his notebooks. “You don’t believe that I just want to spend time with you?”  
   
 Iwaizumi snorted.  
   
 Oikawa playfully pouted, looking right at him. “Iwa-chan makes me sound very devious.”  
   
 “Well that’s not exactly my fault,” he said in jest, with a smile on his face.  
   
 But Oikawa went quiet, mind going to Suga.  
   
 Iwaizumi poked his shoulder. “I was kidding.”  
   
 “I know.” He forced a little smile, then looked away.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 After school they had gone to a restaurant, kind of. It was a casual place, more of a quick bite kind of place, but they got a couple things. They shared two side dishes, one was a salad and the other was some onigiri, rice balls with stuffing, tuna-mayo and salmon in this case. The side dishes each came with a miso soup so it all worked out. They talked over dinner about something rather important.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 In the night, dark monsters were raging, throwing themselves at him. Skirt twirled in the sky, slicing them with his chainsaw. He fired several shots, blasting through more. He was more or less on autopilot, his mind racing and thinking of all the things that had happened today, all the conversations he had had.  
   
  _“Is it wrong to keep secrets?” asked Oikawa after he slurped some of his miso soup. “I mean, from people you’re super close to.”_  
   
 A rather large monster extended its claw in the air.  
   
 Skirt landed on a streetlight. Hearing a familiar creak, he back flipped and landed on another one. There was one streetlight everyone called ‘Creaky’ since it was extremely wobbly and made awful noises. Fox, Staff, Rod, and Skirt had all made bets on how long it would take before it would fall. But his attention was fixated on the long beast that was in front of him.  
   
  _“I don’t think so,” replied Iwaizumi. He took a bite of his onigiri, chewed, and swallowed. “Everyone has secrets, right? Sometimes you need to have something to yourself.”_  
   
 “That doesn’t look good,” muttered a new voice.  
   
 Skirt glanced over.  
   
 Blade stood on the streetlight opposite him.  
   
 “Ah!” Skirt gasped. “Do I have a secret admirer? Is that why you’re always where I am?”  
   
 “Yeah. Sure.” Blade scoffed. “You know we’re both drawn by the pull of stronger Dark. Unlike the others, you and I are more in tune to the subtleties. We find them faster.”  
   
 Skirt smiled. “Oh well.”  
   
 The monster was a long lizard, with big claws. Its form took up the entire narrow street.  
   
  _“Koushi’s mad at me.”_  
   
 They engaged the beast, fighting it from opposite sides. The monster thrashed around and Skirt aimed his gun, narrowing his eyes as he fired, a bit to the side…  
   
 Blade dodged, bewildered for a moment. “That was pretty fucking close!”  
   
 Skirt kissed the barrel of his gun. “Oops.”  
   
 Blade growled. “If you want to start a fight between us, I’ll happily cut you down to size!”  
   
  _Oikawa sighed. He sipped his soup and then put it down. “He knows I’m keeping something from him, and I guess he sees it as like… me not trusting him, or something. But that’s not it at all. I just have secrets; why is it that hard for him to accept that?”_  
   
 “Oooo.” Skirt flicked his wrist, readying his chainsaw. “Are you threatening me, Blade-chan?”  
   
 “Don’t call me that.”  
   
 “Make me.”  
   
  _“Well, it – is – hard for people to understand. But it’s necessary. Maybe he just, doesn’t have any secrets he needs to keep to himself… I mean… I guess, I have mine. So I understand why people have theirs. I accept that other people have theirs because I have mine. You know?”_  
   
 Skirt lunged.  
   
 Blade did too.  
   
 The monster, as well, lunged forward.  
   
 “Stay out of it!” Skirt yelled, spinning his body. Skirt and Blade struck, hard, a deep X-shaped slash, one downward, diagonal slash from each of them tore the monster to bits.  
   
  _“That makes sense. Because I get that, you know? A secret is something… about ourselves. Like. It’s my secret, about me. As much as I understand how much it hurts to be kept in the dark about something, it’s not about him. It never has. It never will be. It’s about me. And, yes, him and his friendship do make up a large part of ‘me’, but there’s more to me than just that.”_  
   
 Little monsters came out as well and distracted the two fighters. As Skirt twirled, slaughtering all the ones nearby, he fired a shot – blasting a bat over Blade’s shoulder. “It would be so easy to just, miss!”  
   
  _”It’s something Suga-san will have to get used to. Just give him time, maybe?”_  
   
 Blade heaved his blade on an elephant-shaped Dark, and it dissipated within seconds. “Just try it! I’ll tear you to shit. I’ll fucking kill you if you even try it.”  
   
 Skirt laughed. “As if you could!”  
   
 Blade scowled.  
   
 “Na, na, I’m just kidding. Of course you could.” As more monsters came around them, Skirt gave a little peace sign before jumping high. “Bye bye!”  
   
 Blade yelled, “Don’t come back!”  
   
 “I won’t!” Skirt shouted from the sky, “Or, at least, you won’t see me coming!”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Thunder crashed down.  
   
 Yamaguchi jumped. Up top on the rooftops of some downtown buildings, it was freezing cold. Although it was spring, winter’s chill still hung around, especially at night. He blew hot air on his freezing fingers and then nuzzled his scarf. It was a bright blue scarf, Sugawara Koushi – though Yamaguchi didn’t know him well – gave it to him because he looked a little pale, a little under the weather. His eyes widened, wide with fear and awe as he saw it.  
   
 The gunshots, the swords, the monsters…  
   
 “So, you see them?”  
   
 Yamaguchi looked over his shoulder. He gave a small nod.  
   
 Kuroo stepped closer. He, or at least he said he was, a being born of Anfang. He stepped closer, next to Yamaguchi and watched the spar between Blade and Skirt from afar.  
   
 “What.” Yamaguchi swallowed hard. “What exactly… are they?”  
   
 “Dark.”  
   
 “Dark?”  
   
 “Humans have elaborate culture. That’s what sets us apart, apparently. Lots of animals have culture, even bacteria has culture. But not as complex, not as high of a level as we humans. In all of humanity and all human cultures, the light represents good. Dark represents bad. Dark means not seeing. Want to know why?”  
   
 Yamaguchi blinked. “The sun, maybe? Only recently do we have electricity, the light bulb… so before then, we couldn’t see without natural light. Um. Does that make sense? Like the sun is an entity that grants us vision…?”  
   
 “Good guess, kiddo.” He poked Yamaguchi’s forehead. “But not quite. It’s a trick question. It wasn’t always this way. For many years it was that dark was seen as good – light was evil. With too much light, you go blind, you can’t see anything. You can’t see shit when there’s an abundance of light. We’re in the Era of Light, now. If the equilibrium is ever broken, then we will move into the Era of Dark. Two sides of the same coin, though. And then, any holy book, any story, any text message you’ve sent… you’ll find it all changed.”  
   
 “Changed?”  
   
 “It’ll happen so sudden, so quick, not a soul will notice. All the metaphors get reversed.” He snapped his finger. “Like that.”  
   
 “That’s impossible.”  
   
 “Maybe,” he mused. He hopped on the railing and walked carefully along the path. “But Sectin puts Lights to fight Dark. Why not overwhelm with Light? They have the manpower. Guess why.”  
   
 Yamaguchi shook his head. “I… don’t know enough to deny anything you’ve said… I don’t know much about Sectin at all.”  
   
 “Mhm, smart move.” Kuroo pretended to give him a tip of his non-existent hat. “Everything is about balance, Tadashi. It’s about the constant state of being. Light and Dark were reversed once, twice, many times. Before that, it was as it was. And now, it is as it is. Reversal happens.”  
   
 Yamaguchi leaned on the railing, looking to the city below. A tension budding in his chest began to squeeze. “Reversals must be bad.”  
   
 “Very… for some people.”  
   
 “What do you mean by that?”  
   
 “Well.” Kuroo turned on his heel to face Yamaguchi. “Reversals shift the world, flip it around, throw it on its head. When it comes to Light and Dark, everyone returns to a zero state. Those in power lose that power. Those who have been suppressed and silenced would be free. Everyone is made equal.”  
   
 Yamaguchi backed away from the railing, eyes widening. “So you want to bring a new era, one of the Dark?”  
   
 “Mhm, but I can’t do it alone kid.” He glanced to the city stretching for kilometers all around them. “This sector is a prime location for a reversal. It won’t be easy though… See, there’s this group here we’ll have to take down first.” He thought about Oikawa. “And there are some… third variables.” Iwaizumi, Shimizu. “And of course there’s…”  
   
  _Kenma._  
   
 Kuroo smiled. “We’re going to come out on top, though.”  
   
 Yamaguchi stared. “How?”  
   
 “Simple. Divide and conquer. And bring about a new world.”  
   
 Yamaguchi’s eyes were wide.  
   
 Corruption was easy, as far as Kuroo was concerned, because everyone dreamed of being a hero, being contacted, being chosen.  _But you won’t be the hero, though… not even close. You’ll be the villain, kid, you just won’t know the difference._  
   
 Yamaguchi nodded. “I’ll do it.”


	13. Heal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> October 31st, Happy Halloween guys! Make sure to drink a glass of water to stay well hydrated, eat some noms, take your meds, and stay safe and all that gibber gabber. This'll be my last Chap for a month until December! Thank you guys again for all the kudos, and comments, and bookmarks, and just -- everything. Thank you for all the support! It means so much to me!
> 
> * * *

 When Oikawa woke up, he went straight for the shower. He had one last night, but he wanted another one (needed another one) anyway. He got out, soon enough, and dried his hair. Once it was dry, it fluffed up in its weird mop-form. Oikawa grabbed a comb and ran it through his hair to give it some kind of shape. Once he was sure it was cute enough, he put his comb down and took a deep breath. He left his bathroom soon enough.  
   
 He never liked looking at himself in the mirror.  
   
 He got dressed quickly, though. He pulled out one of his favourite pairs of underwear. It was a pair of boy shorts: a type of panties designed after men’s boxer briefs, so they looked like a pair of very tight short shorts, more or less. It was black with a hot pink handprint on his right ass cheek, hugging his form perfectly. It was the little confidence boost he needed to get through the day, as far as he was concerned. After that, he put on his uniform pants and shirt. Before putting on the blazer, though, he glanced out the window.  
   
 It was raining, little dots of water hitting the glass.  
   
 Oikawa slipped on a pale pink hoodie underneath, then put on his white blazer on top.  
   
 He looked good in pink.  
   
 And he damn well knew it.  
   
 Oikawa brushed his teeth, did other morning things, then grabbed his phone.  
   
 Two messages.  
   
 One from Suga, one from Iwaizumi.  
   
 Last night he had seen the previews of both messages, doing little mental replies, but not really replying. Now, he didn’t really want to. But, he opened the messages anyway.  
   
  _[Sugawara Koushi, 9:21pm] *Apologetic train noises*_  
   
 Oikawa stared at the message, sick feelings warping and spinning in his stomach, like little skulls and bones dancing inside him. He took a deep, sickly breath and let it out. He stared at the open message; it had taught him something, one thing. He knew one thing. It reminded him. It reminded him of the way he and Iwaizumi had fought, only days ago. You’re avoiding the problem, Hajime had more or less told him, you’re pretending it’s fine when it’s not.  
   
 Yes.  
   
 That’s what was happening, Oikawa didn’t doubt.  
   
 Could Suga really be apologising? Was he really okay with it? Or was this closer to a temporary halt, an act of shoving the problem under the rug, not realising it would grow and grow until it wouldn’t be ignored? Oikawa was the type to run from his problems, and the message told him only one thing: Sugawara was picking up his bad habits. He closed his eyes, shaking his head for a moment.  
   
 It was sick, really.  
   
 But what other choice did he have?  _Hey Suga by the way I’m a magical boy!!_  Yeah that would go over so well.  
   
 Oikawa checked his other message.  
   
  _[Iwaizumi Hajime, 11:13pm]: Hey, I’m packing us lunch for tomorrow. I don’t have drinks, tho. Could you get some? No preservative bullshit, k?_  
   
 Oikawa smiled.  
   
  _[Oikawa Tooru, 7:06am]: <3_  
   
 He packed his bag and got ready to go. He grabbed his umbrella, opening it when he got to ground floor. The walk to the station was short enough, and not too unpleasant even with the rain. When he got on the train, the rain had caused a crowd. He had to stand in favour of the elderly sitting, smiling while he mentally cursed their brittle old bones. Damn them and their reasonable reason to have priority.  
   
 At his stop, he wiggled out and opened his umbrella again. He walked to the convenience store and stepped in. There was a little ring, a bell, when he walked in. He waved to the shopkeep’ and walked over to the drinks. He bought two cans of his favourite strawberry milk. One for him now, obviously, and one for him later. He considered getting a third for Iwa-chan, but Iwaizumi would hate those kind of ‘gross preservative drinks’. Yeah yeah, whatever.  
   
 He looked at what else there was. What would an old man drink? His eyes scanned the rows. “Oolong tea,” he said as he reached out for it. When he grabbed the bottle, he checked the label.  
   
 Unsweetened.  
   
 Ah, yes. Perfect.  
   
 “Gross. He’ll love it.” He had three drinks in his hands. “Old man Iwa-chan.” He turned around and walked towards the counter. In truth, Oikawa liked oolong tea. It was good for weight loss, promoted fat burning, or something – he had read that once, in a study. He wasn’t sure he had his facts right, though. He considered getting himself an oolong, “But strawberry milk…”  
   
 He paid for his drinks and went off to school.  
   
 When he got there, he put his umbrella with the others and changed his shoes at the lockers. Looking into his shoe locker, he saw a couple pieces of paper. He took them out and blinked. Going through them, he couldn’t help but laugh. A couple were fan mail (he got quite a bit of those), mostly girls (except Hinata who used a lot more exclamation marks to say Oikawa-senpai was so cool!!!!).  
   
 Sugawara had slipped a card as well.  
   
  _I’m sorry. I love you. <3_  
   
 Oikawa looked at the next card. He blinked. He could recognise Iwaizumi’s handwriting anywhere.  
   
  _So I kind of noticed you had love letters in your shoe box and apparently I’m twelve because I got jealous… so I wanted to say you’re really amazing, and I adore every second I spend with you. Love you, Prince._  Following was a drawing—a very bad drawing—of the two of them (stick figures), with an arrow titled “Me” pointing to one, while the other had an arrow labelled “Toto-chan”.  
   
 Oikawa chuckled. He put the letters in his bag. Skipping up the stairs to the third floor, he had to say hi to a couple kouhais, but was also stopped by a third year,  
   
 “You look like you’re in a good mood,” said Daichi.  
   
 “Yep.” Oikawa smiled. “Good morning, Dai-chi.”  
   
 “Morning, Oikawa-san.”  
   
 The two of them began walking to their classroom.  
   
 “How’s the volleyball team doing?”  
   
 “Not bad,” Daichi admitted. “The first years are good, and the team’s finally setting into place. We’re starting to work together, a lot more fluidly. I think we’ve got a good chance at nationals, actually.”  
   
 Oikawa whistled. “Good to hear; if you have any matches, let us know okay? Kou-chan’s gonna come cheer you on!”  
   
 Daichi’s cheeks tinted a shade pink, but he smiled. “I think I’d just get nervous and run away if he did.”  
   
 Oikawa laughed, and the two of them stepped into the classroom, instantly breaking off. Daichi went straight for Suga, Oikawa straight for Iwaizumi – it was the only straight thing about them. Oikawa gave his Iwa-chan a wave as he approached.  
   
 Iwaizumi gave a little wave back.  
   
 Oikawa walked to his seat, putting his bag down. “Morning, Iwa-chan.” He gave him a quick kiss.  
   
 “Morning.” Iwaizumi tilted his head. “Sugawara-san was asking for you.”  
   
 “Oh.” Oikawa was glad his back was to Suga at that moment. “Okidoke. I got your love letter by the way.”  
   
 “Yeah?” Iwaizumi said in a scoff, in his typical ‘I-don’t-care’ voice, though his shoulders were leaning forward, just a little bit, almost as if he were interested.  
   
 “It was the best love letter I received – my favourite.”  
   
 Iwaizumi snorted. “Your standards are way too low, then.”  
   
 “I don’t mind if it means I get to date you.” He took his seat, back still to Suga and Daichi. He threw his feet on Iwaizumi’s lap.  
   
 “Off.”  
   
 “Nope.” He pulled one of the strawberry milk cans out of his bag. It was one of the ‘shake gently’ kinds, so he did that before he opened the top.  
   
 “You’re a dumbass, Prince.”  
   
 Oikawa laughed. He sipped his drink. Sweet strawberry. Mmm. “You know.” He put his can on his desk. “I think I still prefer Toto-chan to Prince, though. It’s a better nickname. It just, describes me better, you know? Prince is… not me. Right? Princes are like these powerful figures that are spoiled rotten.”  
   
 Iwaizumi looked at him.  
   
 Oikawa pouted. “What?”  
   
 Iwaizumi opened his mou—  
   
 “Don’t you dare!” Oikawa pointed at him. “That’s not me. At all.”  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled. “It fits you fucking perfectly.”  
   
 Before Oikawa could reply, he felt a tap to his shoulder. He threw his head back. “Huh?”  
   
 Sugawara smiled. “Hi.”  
   
 Oikawa pulled his feet off Iwaizumi and stood up. “Hey.” He pulled Suga into a hug.  
   
 Suga, surprised, hugged back and smiled. “I’m sorry.”  
   
 “Don’t be!”  
   
 “Are we… good?”  
   
 “Yeah.” Lies. “Of course we are.”  
   
 “Okay.” Suga smiled. He let out a sigh of relief.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “So,” Iwaizumi said in a wary tone, “This might not exactly be my place…” He cocked his head to the side and rubbed his neck. “But are you guys actually good, or is he just saying you’re good?” The two of them were on the rooftop, eating from bento boxes Iwaizumi made last night. Slices of raw fish, rice, grilled chicken breast, and a salad with all kinds of things in it. Iwaizumi was picking at cucumber slices with his chopsticks. He looked up. “Sugawara-san, I mean.”  
   
 Oikawa took a deep breath.  
   
 So Iwaizumi noted too, eh?  
   
 Oikawa forced a smile, but it took too much effort, so it soon faded away. “Um. I think, I think he’s probably just saying it… but I also think, maybe it’s like you said yesterday, you know? Maybe he needs to understand it, so even if he’s just saying it, maybe he’s just getting used to the idea? I don’t know. Maybe it’s like, we might hit a speedbump here and there, but maybe that’ll be the worst it gets. He’ll need time to get used to it, either way. Oh. I got drinks.”  
   
 Iwaizumi grabbed one of the cans and smiled. “Oolong tea. Unsweetened? Nice.”  
   
 Ah yes. Of course he would.  
   
 Iwaizumi blinked. “Why are you looking at me like that?  
   
 Oikawa laughed, shaking his head. Despite the rainy morning, the clouds had cleared, the sun was bright, and nothing but brilliant blue was all around them. “No reason!” He smiled, tilting his head to the side, just a little. “I love you, Hajime.”  
   
 Iwaizumi grinned, full on actually grinned, then rubbed his nose as if to wipe off his smile. “Shut the fuck up.”  
   
 “Nope.”  
   
 “Love you too, idiot.” Iwaizumi took a deep breath and sighed. “Anyway… um, I don’t know… But, still. I hope you and Suga-san work it out. He’s a really good friend to you.”  
   
 “I know, and I think he might be a bit… not jealous, he’s not petty enough to be jealous (like me), but he might be a bit annoyed that I’m spending all this time with you and not him? So I don’t know, I don’t know what I’m talking about but… yeah.”  
   
 Iwaizumi leaned over, kissing his cheek.  
   
 Oikawa gasped. “Iwa-chan we’re in public!”  
   
 “There’s nobody else on this rooftop.”  
   
 “You’re right! We should have sex up here!”  
   
 “I am going to hit you so fucking hard…”  
   
 “Ooo, Iwa-chan’s a sadist, huh?”  
   
 “I have no doubt you’re a masochist if you’re still talking…”  
   
 Oikawa laughed. He ate the last of his bento box and gathered the trash. “Let’s go back to class.”  
   
 “Sure.” Iwaizumi stood up and bumped his boyfriend’s shoulder. “Hey, um…?”  
   
 “Hm?”  
   
 “Nothing.”  
   
 “Iwa-chan’s dumb. Iwa-chan should talk.”  
   
 Iwaizumi sighed and began walking to the stairwell. Oikawa, of course, followed. Iwaizumi walked down and then glanced over his shoulder. “I wanted to ask. If you. Could.” He sighed. “Can you, help me study tonight?”  
   
 “Oh you just want to get in my pants.” Oikawa threw his arms around Iwaizumi and kissed his nose. “Of course I can, Iwa-chan… but you’re gonna have to leave some room for Jesus, okay?”  
   
 “I promise. I’ll leave enough room for a million bibles.”  
   
 “Iwa-chan no!”  
   
 “You’ll need all of them.” Iwaizumi kissed his cheek, knowing the stairwell gave them enough privacy, before he pulled Oikawa along.  
   
 Just before they got to the last stop of the third floor, two people came up to them.  
   
 Suga smiled. “There he is.”  
   
 Oikawa blinked. “Huh?”  
   
 Standing next to Sugawara was Yamaguchi. He pushed a piece of paper forward. “Um… I know that, um. Uh. Sorry to bother you, Oikawa-senpai.”  
   
 “Don’t worry about it, Yama-chan.” Oikawa took the piece of paper, glancing at it. “Oooooo.” He smiled. “You want to join the anime club?”  
   
 “Yes. I know, it’s, past the date—”  
   
 “That’s not a problem!” Oikawa assured with a big smile on his face. “Um.” He patted his pocket. “Anyone got a pen?”  
   
 Yamaguchi offered one.  
   
 Oikawa gave a quick signature. “Welcome aboard! We have club every two school days, so sometimes twice a week, sometimes three times a week, with the occasional day skipped. The schedule’s posted outside the door. We don’t take attendance or anything, though, ‘cause we’re a pretty chill club. And schoolwork comes first, so if you can’t make it that’s fine. Iwa-chan here is our vice president and mostly just my boytoy—”  
   
 “—I will rip off your—”  
   
 “—but he’s kind of useless and mostly just does donkey work for me. Because I love him.” He turned and blew Iwaizumi a kiss.  
   
 Iwaizumi caught it and put it against his heart.  
   
 Oikawa suddenly laughed, cheeks warming.  
   
 Yamaguchi blushed and smiled as well, while Sugawara rolled his eyes (pretending he wasn’t smiling).  
   
 Oikawa cleared his throat. “Anyway, see me if you need anything, okay Yama-chan?”  
   
 “Okay. Thank you, Oikawa-senpai.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “Yamaguchi!” Hinata yelled at the top of his lungs before tackling his taller friend.  
   
 Yamaguchi meeped, then gave a small, shaky laugh. “Hi.”  
   
 “You joined!” Hinata squeaked. He bounced up and down, jumping up in little star shapes before landing and doing it again, and again, and again. “Now we just gotta get Tsukishima and…” He paused, looking around the club. “Kageyam—”  
   
 “—Yamaguchi-san.”  
   
 Hinata screamed.  
   
 Kageyama looked at him, glaring, then back to Yamaguchi.  
   
 Yamaguchi laughed, nervously. “Hi.”  
   
 Several paces away, Oikawa yanked Iwaizumi. “Did I tell you about him?”  
   
 “Yes.”  
   
 “Oh, okay.”  
   
 Hinata gawked and pointed at his best friend. “What are you doing here?”  
   
 Kageyama glared at him, before his expression softened and looked at Yamaguchi. He offered a blue notebook. “You have mine; I have yours.”  
   
 “Oh!” Yamaguchi grabbed his bag and quickly pulled out another notebook with the same colour. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to take yours.”  
   
 “No. It was my f-fault.” Kageyama’s lips wiggled. “I took yours, by accident.”  
   
 Oikawa danced his way over. “Tobio-chan!”  
   
 “No.”  
   
 “You don’t even know what I’m going to say.”  
   
 “No.” Kageyama left.  
   
 Hinata balled his hands into fists. “We’re gonna get him! Now that both me and Yamaguchi are here, we’ll get him and Tsukiiiii!”  
   
 Iwaizumi, watching the scene in front of him, looked away.  
   
 Tsukishima…  
   
  _Along the white marble of the shrine, Tsukishima walked closer. He was wearing casual clothes, a t-shirt with a mosasaurus on it and jeans. He didn’t bother with a mask. He glanced to Iwaizumi. “What happened?”  
    
 Iwaizumi paused for a moment, but then he spoke: “We had to escape. I used the rift of darkness.”  
    
  With a swirl and fissures of water, he donned his red robe and in his hand was the Buddhist staff he was named after. Tsukishima’s hand began to glow blue-white and he aimed it at Skirt, who began to glow that same colour of aqua. “He’ll be fine.”  
    
 Fox perked his head. “Angel! Angel came back! He attacked us!”  
    
  Tsukishima nodded gravely. “We’ve almost set up the barrier here. He won’t be able to step foot in the shrine, in human form or as Angel. You three will.” He lowered his hand and the glowing stopped. A chilly breeze past. Tsukishima glanced to the full moon, then back to them. When he closed his eyes, his robe and staff dispersed into threads of water that evaporated._  
   
 “Iwa-chan.”  
   
 Iwaizumi looked up. “Huh?”  
   
 Oikawa had offered him a platter of cookies; they smelled of green tea and almonds. “You zoned out, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “Your cookies just looked really good.”  
   
 “Liar.” Oikawa smiled, though. He picked one and pushed it to Iwaizumi’s mouth.  
   
 Iwaizumi took a small bite then yanked his head away. “You’re not feeding me.”  
   
 “But I just did.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 After school,  
   
 “Um, my dad’s home.”  
   
 “Want to come to my place instead, Iwa-chan?”  
   
 “Mhm.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 When they got to Oikawa’s place, they put their bags down. Oikawa stretched and yawned. “Can I get you anything? Drink? Food?”  
   
 “Hm.” Iwaizumi smiled. “Attention?”  
   
 Oikawa grinned and ran; he jumped up, right at his boyfriend.  
   
 Iwaizumi caught him. “Oof.” He pouted.  
   
 Oikawa hugged him tight. “You have such big strong arms, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “Good thing, too, since you’re so heavy.”  
   
 “Hey!”  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled. “Kiss me.”  
   
 Oikawa leaned down, pressing their lips together. They closed their eyes, sinking into each other. Darkness, but heat. Warm, wet, comforting. Scents, soft skin. Oikawa pulled away, just a bit, and pressed their foreheads together. “Love you.”  
   
 Iwaizumi kept his eyes closed. “Love you too.”  
   
 Oikawa kissed Iwaizumi’s forehead. “What do you want to do?”  
   
 “Um…”  
   
 “I swear if you say homework…”  
   
 “I wasn’t going to, but now that you mention it.”  
   
 “Hajime, no, please, no…”  
   
 “But, then we can spend the rest of the night together, and not worry about it.”  
   
 “Hmmmm. What do we have to do, anyway?”  
   
 “Literature, and history, and English.”  
   
 “And math for you.”  
   
 “Lots of math for me.”  
   
 Oikawa moved his head back and whined. “I just got home! I don’t wanna do any of it…”  
   
 “So… why don’t we make out for fifteen minutes, then work?”  
   
 Oikawa, grinning now, purred. “I like that idea.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Plenty of making out later (plenty), they worked through the homework. It wasn’t too bad; they moved through it fast enough with the two of them, but it was tedious none the less. When they were done they threw their books on the floor and jumped on the bed. Oikawa stretched and wiggled against Iwaizumi. Iwaizumi pulled him in a hug, needing to take five (or ten; or more) to recover from the awfulness that was writing his response to some dead poet’s haikus about something or another. He pulled Oikawa as close as he could, nuzzling his neck.  
   
 “Hey, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “Yeah, Prince?”  
   
 Oikawa grinned. “Do you want to do something naughty?”  
   
 Iwaizumi opened one eye. “Like what?”  
   
 “Like, maybe you might want to put your hand down my pants.”  
   
 Iwaizumi moved his head back and looked at him.  
   
 “Oh come on.” Oikawa smiled. He bumped his body against Iwaizumi. “Just a little bit.”  
   
 Iwaizumi bit his lip. “Maybe I do…” He leaned in, kissing Oikawa’s neck. “But what’s in it for me?”  
   
 “You get to touch me – I’m awesome, you know?”  
   
 Iwaizumi chuckled. “But what about me?” He kissed Oikawa’s neck again.  
   
 Oikawa gasped. “Don’t worry Iwa-chan.” He put a finger over Iwaizumi’s chest. “I’ll make it up to you.”  
   
 Iwaizumi stopped for a second. “Um. How far, do you want to go?”  
   
 Oikawa pulled away, just a bit. “I think I’m ready.”  
   
 “Yeah?” Iwaizumi’s cheeks heated up. “Like actually, or are you just saying it?”  
   
 “I think I’m actually ready.” Oikawa nodded, cheeks pink. “I mean, I don’t know… I’m scared, but it’s normal to be scared.”  
   
 “I’m scared too, I think.”  
   
 “Then, okay. I mean, as long as I’m not too scared that it’s like crippling or whatever – that would be really bad, right? But I’m just, I’m excited.”  
   
 “Okay.” Iwaizumi sat up. “Do you have a condom?”  
   
 Oikawa thought about it. “Do we need one?”  
   
 “Huh? Of course we do.”  
   
 “Well, I mean like.” He poked his two index fingers together. “I can’t get pregnant, so.”  
   
 “You can’t get pregnant?”  
   
 “Well, I mean, like a really small chance.”  
   
 “What do you mean by small chance?”  
   
 “Well, okay, so um, testosterone shots. Stops my period. No cycle, no fertility. Still a small chance, but it’s like the same chance as a chick on the pill, or whatever.”  
   
 “Oh.” Iwaizumi thought about it. “But, there’s still like, STDs and STIs to consider. Right?”  
   
 “Well. I’m clean. I know I am, took blood tests after my last hook up… He kind of just spurted in my mouth. Didn’t take a chance.”  
   
 “Oh.” Iwaizumi, of course, thought about what it would be like to cum in Oikawa’s mouth, and his cheeks went bright red. “Well, I’m clean too…”  
   
 “We can still use a condom if you prefer.”  
   
 “I don’t know.” Iwaizumi shrugged. Awkwardness made his limbs stiff. “Do you usually not? Like, if you know the guy is clean?”  
   
 “I usually don’t.” Oikawa rubbed his knees together. “But that’s only if I really trust a guy. So. I guess I’m a plant, huh, Iwa-chan?”  
   
 “Huh?”  
   
 “You’re gonna cum, fertilise me.”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s eyes narrowed. “What.”  
   
 “Like, fertilise. It’s a joke. Since there’s no condom.”  
   
 “But, plants get fertilised with like, horse shit.”  
   
 “Hajime do  _not_  put animal excrements in my pussy!”  
   
 “What?” Iwaizumi frowned. “What the fuck are you talking about?”  
   
 “Like! Cum! Fertilise! Like an egg! I’m saying you’re going to give me a creampie!”  
   
 “Oh.” Iwaizumi backed away. “Don’t say creampie…”  
   
 “Why not? That’s what it’s called when someone cums inside!”  
   
 “No! Creampies are desserts! Banana creampie, coconut creampie! They’re innocent and they don’t deserve this!”  
   
 “Oh, I’m sorry—I didn’t know Iwa-chan was a banana creampie rights activist!”  
   
 Iwaizumi sighed. They stared at each other for a long moment. “So… I’m guessing the mood’s ruined…”  
   
 “Yeah…” Oikawa took a deep breath. “Let’s go watch anime or something.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 The two of them just watched whatever was on. They were on the couch. Iwaizumi with his back to the couch, while Oikawa was shamelessly on top of him. Tummy to tummy. That made giving each other kisses pretty easy. Oikawa cuddled into his boyfriend as they watched and he smiled, loving the feel of one of Iwaizumi’s arms loosely around his hips. He looked at his boyfriend and kissed his chin. “I like being with you.”  
   
 Iwaizumi stared at him for a moment and then cocked his head. “I like being with you too. Where did that come from?”  
   
 “Nowhere in particular,” he said in a yawn. “I just really like being with you.”  
   
 A song started playing.  
   
 Iwaizumi stiffened, reaching into his pocket. “Shut up,” he murmured as he pulled out his phone. He swiped his finger across the screen and put it to his ear. “Hello?”  
   
 Oikawa heard an older voice on the other end.  
   
 “No… Friend’s… Fine.” He frowned, then hung up.  
   
 Oikawa pouted. “Dad?”  
   
 “Yeah. He, wants me to go home, now. Or soon, anyway.”  
   
 “But!” Oikawa screamed. He sat up, sitting on Iwaizumi’s hips. “But! I haven’t even seen your dick yet!”  
   
 “Tooru!”  
   
 “Nuh uh!” Oikawa grabbed his own pants, and in one whip, they were on the floor. “Look, I’m even wearing my cute sexy undies. See?”  
   
 Iwaizumi looked down, to the boy just wearing a shirt and underwear, sitting on his crotch with a pout on his face.  
   
 The undies hugged Oikawa’s curves and he wiggled his hips over Iwaizumi. “Come on… We don’t have to go all the way…”  
   
 Iwaizumi took a deep breath and sat up. Tentatively, he put his hands on Oikawa’s hips and swallowed hard. “Fine, but no stupid jokes. None of them. Not one.”  
   
 Oikawa smiled. “Okay, I promise. You can even gag me if you want.”  
   
 “What the fuck did I just say?”  
   
 Oikawa laughed. “Sorry.”  
   
 Iwaizumi frowned and looked down. “Look, I just…”  
   
 “I know, it’s okay.” Oikawa put his hands on Iwaizumi’s shoulder. “Last time, really scared you?”  
   
 “Yeah.”  
   
 “Then why don’t we do what we did last time, like, just dry humping, and stuff… and then I don’t know, maybe if we do what we did last time, but it turns out good, then maybe it’ll help, kind of, overwrite that memory?”  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled, cheeks warming. “Sounds like a plan. Just, last time, you…”  
   
 “That was last time.”  
   
 “Are you sure?”  
   
 “If I want you to stop, I’ll say stop. Okay?”  
   
 “Promise?”  
   
 “Promise.” Oikawa nodded. “And you too. If you want me to stop, then just tell me ‘stop’.”  
   
 “I don’t want you to stop.”  
   
 “We haven’t even started, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “I know, I know.”  
   
 “Come on.” Oikawa began unbuttoning his shirt. He let it hang loose on his shoulders, open partway. He grabbed Iwaizumi’s hands. “Feel me.”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s hands were shaking, but he started at Oikawa’s sides, near his tummy, above his hips. He moved up, slowly, swallowing hard. It felt like fire, it felt like ice, burning, freezing, soft – smooth. Iwaizumi’s cheeks warmed. He felt Oikawa shiver, goosebumps rising, and he felt every bump with the pads of his fingers. When he moved up the chest, over where Oikawa’s scars used to be, he felt Oikawa take a sharp breath, and he felt it – the skin that was tougher than the rest of it, but it didn’t last long before he moved to Oikawa’s shoulders. “Holy shit. You’re gorgeous.”  
   
 Oikawa laughed, toes curling. He smiled his shaky little smile, cheeks red.  
   
 Iwaizumi’s hands, on Oikawa’s shirt, helped guide the cloth off his skin, and soon that too was left discarded on the floor. He moved his hands down, feeling little twitches as he went, and eventually he grabbed Oikawa’s ass, hand over the handprint.  
   
 Oikawa smiled. “Iwa-chan is hard.”  
   
 Iwaizumi blushed. “Of course I am. I’m touching you.”  
   
 Oikawa laughed. “Good response.” He pressed himself down, feeling the outline of Iwaizumi’s cock against himself. He began grinding, slow, through their clothes – Iwaizumi’s cock moving up and down the rift, rubbing against his clit at the top with each soft thrust. He gasped and bit his lip. “Mmm.”  
   
 Iwaizumi couldn’t help but watch the way those hips moved, so rhythmically, so fluidly. “Feel good?”  
   
 “Oh yeah…” He moved his hips, rocking them back and forth. Being on top, he guided it for what was best for him. He enjoyed every second, letting out little noises, making small movements, and watching Iwaizuimi’s wide eyes as he went.  
   
 Iwaizumi moved his hips in response as well, but more of an automatic movement instead of a guided one. “Tooru…”  
   
 “Yeah?”  
   
 “You’re… so fucking, gorgeous, and on top of me…” His throat tightened. Even through his pants, and especially since Oikawa’s underwear was thin, he could feel everything; he began mapping out what it must look like. Iwaizumi wanted to take his pants off, but didn’t know how to go about that, and he wasn’t sure that was such a good idea, either. One thing would lead to another, and… He grabbed Oikawa’s hips and began grinding more actively, increasing the friction between them.  
   
 “Ah,” Oikawa gasped sharply. “I was wondering if you were going to, ah, get more into it, instead of just blushing and looking at me like that.”  
   
 “Shut up.” Iwaizumi’s hands moved from Oikawa’s hips to his ass, giving it a firm squeeze.  
   
 Oikawa made a sound, high-pitch and sharp.  
   
 Iwaizumi smirked.  
   
 “Mmmm, Iwa-chan…”  
   
 Iwaizumi took a deep breath before flipping them over—pushing Oikawa down and pressing himself against him.  
   
 Oikawa yelped. He opened his legs, smiling. “Full of surprises.”  
   
 Iwaizumi grinded down, the same slow, deep movements that Oikawa loved. The space between them was filled with heat and deep friction; he let out a noise as the pressure strained against his aching cock. He rubbed, aiming up. “Here?”  
   
 Oikawa’s cheeks warmed. “A bit higher.”  
   
 “Here?”  
   
 “There we-ah—” He felt a thrill from his clit send a jolt through his body. “Mmm.” He closed his eyes, moving his hands down. He cupped his chest and ran his hands down, running over his stomach, feeling himself.  
   
 Iwaizumi’s mouth went dry. Just, just seeing all this… He tried to distract himself, but it wasn’t working. “Cute undies.”  
   
 “Want me to take them off?”  
   
 Iwaizumi blushed.  
   
 “Mmm.” Oikawa threw his arms around Iwaizumi’s neck and pulled him close, bringing their lips together. He slipped his tongue inside Iwaizumi’s mouth and his thighs quivered. He broke the kiss and threw his head back, whimpering. Iwaizumi kept thrusting against him; the outline of his cock between his legs… Oikawa gasped, screwing his eyes shut tight.  
   
 Iwaizumi froze.  
   
 Oikawa’s whole body shook, shivered. He let out the cutest, whiniest noise, before he opened his eyes. “Hajime…”  
   
 Iwaizumi looked down, to where their crotches were pressed against each other. “Did you cum, already, from dry humping?”  
   
 “Y-Yes.” Oikawa bit his lips, cheeks burning. “ _Fuck_  that was good.”  
   
 Iwaizumi had heard that vagina meant complex orgasm, but maybe not. Then again Oikawa was guiding the entire thing. He looked down and moved his hips back.  
   
 “Fuck,” whispered Oikawa, a beautiful breathlessness to his voice. “I am so wet right now…”  
   
 Iwaizumi had a couple damp spots on his pants from the contact, but he didn’t care. Oikawa’s thin underwear did little to hide moisture.  
   
 Oikawa grinned. He grabbed Iwaizumi’s crotch, cupping it in his hand.  
   
 Iwaizumi yelped.  
   
 Oikawa still grinned. “I can change out of these undies no problem, but if you cum in your pants that might be an uncomfortable train ride home… so… Can I…?”  
   
 Iwaizumi swallowed hard, nodding twice.  
   
 They flipped over again, so Iwaizumi had his back to the couch. Oikawa, cheeks flushed, wide smile, undid Iwaizumi’s belt and zipper. He groped the length through the fabric before reaching in and pulling it out. “Oh wow, Iwa-chan.” He grabbed the cock, thick and hot in his hand, the top already slick with precum. “How big is it?”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s face burned. “It’s not like I’ve measured it!”  
   
 “But…” Oikawa began stroking, slowly, teasingly. “How big is it?”  
   
 “I said I’ve never measured!”  
   
 “How big?”  
   
 Iwaizumi stared at him, right in the eye. “Seventeen and a half centimetres, last I checked…”  
   
 “Wow, just under seven inches, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “And you just know the conversion by heart?”  
   
 “Uh, yeah?”  
   
 “Just shut up and get me off.”  
   
 “Oooo, giving orders.” Oikawa gave a firm squeeze, watching Iwaizumi gasp. “Does this feel good, Iwa-chan?” He stroked slowly, carefully, before he started speeding up. “Does this feel good, Hajime?”  
   
 “Yess,” he said as he arched his back. “Fuck.”  
   
 With all the dry humping, Oikawa smirked as he knew the direct stimulation would just be the final push over the edge, but he didn’t want it to end too early. He gave the cock another squeeze and heard Hajime whimper; he felt his boyfriend’s legs and thighs quiver beneath him. Oikawa moved his hand up and down, creating a steady rhythm.  
   
 A noise left Iwaizumi’s throat, soft but needy.  
   
 Oikawa leaned over, pressing their lips together.  
   
 Iwaizumi moved both arms around his boyfriend, kissing him rough.  
   
 Oikawa had a couple secrets of good sex, and this was one. He loved kissing guys when he was jerking them off. The hungrier they kissed, the closer they were—it was an easy indicator, really. It was like a little cheat sheet. Now, Iwaizumi kissed him rough, incorporating teeth and tongue. His arm around Oikawa’s neck pulled him closer, wanting more, needing more. Oikawa began moving his hand faster.  
   
 Iwaizumi moaned into Oikawa’s mouth. Each stroke made his skin burn; he swore he would melt under that hand.  
   
 Oikawa smirked into the kiss.  
   
 Iwaizumi was close.  
   
 It was simple, but it was intimate. Just Oikawa’s hand, nothing else, on his cock—stroking him, quickly, moving the skin up and down, rolling it over the head and rolling back down, nothing else. No lube, no toys, nothing but sheer intimacy. Oikawa kept going, kept moving, kept jerking—faster, faster, faster; he kept rhythm, though, not stopping, not slowing, not hesitating.  
   
 “Mmm,” Iwaizumi muffled into the kiss. He was about to push Oikawa away, to say something, but as soon as he put his hands on Oikawa’s chest, the soft skin, the inviting body, the heat… He ran his hand down Oikawa’s sides, grating his nails down.  
   
 “Ah!” Oikawa broke the kiss, a sharp gasp. Sharp pain, warm pleasure—  
   
 Iwaizumi opened his eyes, mouth opening, his face twitched, surprise and bliss finding rifts in his face until—hot white, shot into the air, hitting Oikawa’s chest.  
   
 Oikawa looked down, and then leaned back so the cum wouldn’t drip on to Iwaizumi’s uniform. “Ooops. Maybe I should take a selfie.”  
   
 Iwaizumi took a deep breath and then smirked. “You little slut…”  
   
 “Hehehehehehehe.”  
   
 “I hate you.”  
   
 “I’m pretty sure you said you love me.”  
   
 “Maybe.”  
   
 “Say it again, Hajime.”  
   
 “I love you.”  
   
 “Even though you made a mess on me?”  
   
 “You were the one aiming the thing…”  
   
 Oikawa burst into laughter then leaned over, stealing a quick kiss before he moved back again. He grabbed the tissue box on the low coffee table. He cleaned them up easily enough. “Did Hajime like it?”  
   
 “Hajime did like it.” Iwaizumi smiled. “I like you, Tooru.”  
   
 Oikawa kissed him, chaste and gentle. “See? Sex doesn’t have to be super scary.”  
   
 “I know.” Iwaizumi nodded. He reached up and kissed Oikawa’s nose. “I’m glad we did this.”  
   
 “Now we’re ready for bigger things!”  
   
 “I have to head home now…”  
   
 “I didn’t mean tonight!”  
   
 “Oh.” Iwaizumi laughed. “Hey, Prince?”  
   
 “Yeah?”  
   
 “Thanks for…” Iwaizumi shrugged. “Making me feel okay.”  
   
 “That’s my job.” Oikawa kissed his cheek. “I’m the top in this relationship after all?”  
   
 “Are you now?”  
   
 “I’m taller!”  
   
 “Is that how it works?”  
   
 “That’s how the anime porn magazines do it!”  
   
 “Hey Oikawa? Get the fuck off me.”  
   
 “Love you!”  
   
 “I… for whatever reason, love you too.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 When he got home, Iwaizumi went straight to his room to charge his phone. It had died since he spent the entire train ride texting Oikawa. There was a knock on his door and he looked towards the entrance. “Yeah, Dad?”  
   
 “You went to a friend’s place?”  
   
 “Yeah.”  
   
 “You had fun?”  
   
 Iwaizumi looked away to hide his warm cheeks. “Yeah.”  
   
   
 He was then promptly given the award of the biggest understatement of the year.


	14. Aniki

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayyyyyy!! Surprise update! Yes, we're halfway through the month, but the truth is I can't stay away from this story, even if I'm doing NaNoWriMo. I hope you enjoy this chapter, since I put a _lot_ of time and effort into this one. It's my first time writing some scenes like the ones that appear here, so don't be afraid to offer critique, whether its about this chapter or the whole thing. I do want to grow as a writer. I honestly do, so feel free to tell me how I'm doing, even if its just a one liner or something. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I just wanted to say thank you for all the support you guys have given me. ;.; 
> 
> We broke 3.5k hits, 200 kudos, 250 comments, and now 75k words! 
> 
> Thank you!
> 
> * * *

 “Aniki!”  
   
 “Otouto!”  
   
 Cherry blossoms and romantic sunset lights. They ran to one another, in slow motion. Oikawa running with tears in his eyes. Lev, arms open wide. Violins and happy piano music played in the background. There was light, brilliant, greater than all of light incarnate. Cherry blossoms, sunset. It was beautiful, it was magical, it was a moment that all moments would think about and say damn I wish I was that moment because he’s like Stacey’s mom ‘cause he’s got it going on.  
   
 They embraced, slamming into each other.  
   
 “Aniki!” Lev said with a sniffle and a sob.  
   
 Oikawa fought back tears. “Lev!”  
   
 They gave each other cheek kisses and hugs, embracing in the world’s most romantic moment.  
   
   
 Overall, a week had passed, the rift between Suga and Oikawa seemed invisible now (though there was no doubt it was still there), and Lev had just moved to spend some time with his auntie and uncle, Suga’s parents.  
   
 Oikawa broke away. “How was the flight?”  
   
 “It was awesome!” Lev grinned. “I got so much done!”  
   
 They were outside Aoba Johsai, where Lev had waited for them. The two were caught up in a moment beyond all moments. A moment so beautiful and magical that all other moments would think about it and say damn I wish I was that moment because Oikawa’s got it going on.  
   
 Standing a few paces away were Sugawara and Iwaizumi. When Iwaizumi asked if they always did that, Suga affirmed that yes – indeed – they always, always did.  
   
 “He’s my cousin,” explained Suga. “He treats Oikawa like an older brother. They get along since they’re both single childs.”  
   
 “So he’s younger than us?”  
   
 “Mhm.” Suga tilted his head. “He skipped a grade, and was in an advanced program. So he finished high school early and started writing as a hobby. He’s a published novelist, actually.”  
   
 “Really?” Iwaizumi stared. “Him?”  
   
 Lev grabbed Oikawa and twirled him around.  
   
 Suga laughed. “He got an award for his book, too. Not a big one, but still got some recognition.”  
   
 Iwaizumi looked at him, pensively. “Yeah?”  
   
 “He’s one of those people you want to be happy for…” Suga’s eyes softened. “But you feel like shit because you can’t help but compare yourself… because, they have their life together so much better than you do.”  
   
 Iwaizumi looked at his feet. “Yeah, I know the kind.”  
   
 Suga rubbed his own shoulder. “Yeah. Be nice to him? Lev’s kind of. He doesn’t get along with people that well, so…”  
   
 Iwaizumi nodded. “I will.”  
   
 Oikawa turned to them, dragging Lev along. “You two! Don’t be so secret secret! Nobody likes it when their friends are in cahoots together! But, Lev, meet the lucky man who has the honour of putting his hands down my pants!”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s eyes widened. “Tooru!”  
   
 Lev threw his hand forward. “Haiba Lev! Just call me Lev!”  
   
 “Iwaizumi Hajime,” Iwaizumi said as he shook the hand.  
   
  _Angel?_  
   
 Iwaizumi studied him, carefully. It couldn’t quite work. Body size wasn’t right, proportions were off, but then again… the masks changed appearance, and if he had a cross-shaped mask… maybe…  
   
 Iwaizumi studied him nonetheless.  
   
 He was loud and lanky, and he looked like he didn’t know how to use his limbs. He got excited easily, a bit like Hinata, and he liked to lean his arm on Suga’s shoulder to remind them all who was taller. Suga took it with a grain of salt, and occasionally jabbed Lev’s side. Lev looked, utterly, totally, harmless. But was that a reason to rule him out completely? Or was it a reason that made Lev more likely?  
   
  _“We’ve almost set up the barrier here,”_  Tsukishima had said before,  _“He won’t be able to step foot in the shrine, in human form or as Angel.”_  
   
 Iwaizumi waited for a lull in the conversation before, “Why don’t we go to the shrine?”  
   
 Lev blinked. “Huh?”  
   
 Oikawa smiled. “Sure!”  
   
 Suga tilted his head. “Shrine? Oh. The Tsukishima temple?”  
   
 Oikaw shrugged. “Temple, shrine, same thing. Does it matter? Let’s go!”  
   
 “Sure!” Lev threw a fist into the air, then brought it down slowly. “Why, though?”  
   
 Iwaizumi looked around. “Because, um. New beginnings, right?”  
   
 “Actually,” said Suga, “The main reason people go to temples, from a contextual history and cultural perspective—”  
   
 “—Nope!” Oikawa yelled. “I don’t care about history or context or culture or perspectives or the fact that I’m not wearing underwear right now. Let’s go!”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Soon enough, they arrived. Unbeknownst to anyone else, Oikawa took the world’s largest breath of relief. Oikawa knew, he knew, it couldn’t be either of them, but… still. He had to make sure. On the flipside, Iwaizumi had similar thoughts. He was relieved. He didn’t know these people as well as Oikawa did, but he didn’t want to fight someone from school – or someone that eliminating would make Oikawa cry.  
   
 The likeness was similar, but not perfect.  
   
 Iwaizumi stared at them for a while, but slapped his hands together as he prayed.  
   
 The others did too.  
   
 “What are you doing?”  
   
 Oikawa looked over.  
   
 Tsukishima eyed Suga and Lev, but only Oikawa noted the warm relief in his golden brown eyes when he – too – was affirmed it wasn’t them.  
   
 Oikawa chirped up, “New beginnings!”  
   
 Lev echoed, “New beginnings!”  
   
 Tsukishima’s eyes narrowed. “That doesn’t even make sense.”  
   
 Oikawa didn’t care. He did a twirl. “Such a pretty shrine.” His body was loose and spun easy, muscles relaxing with the relief. Wind picked up around him, a couple cherry blossom bits flew around, some got stuck in his hair. “We don’t need a reason to see it, right?”  
   
 “It’s a temple,” Tsukishima corrected. “And you look like an idiot.”  
   
 Iwaizumi was pretty sure Tsuki had called it a shrine before.  
   
 Lev, however, started twirling as well. He didn’t look as graceful, though, more like a puppy trying to imitate something it saw.  
   
 Suga sighed.  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled. “I see why they get along, anyway.”  
   
 Tsukishima smiled. “It’s like that American movie.” He cocked his head to the side, smile turning to a grin. “What was it called? Dumb and Dumber?”  
   
 Lev paused. “Hey…”  
   
 Oikawa stopped too. He pouted.  
   
 Iwaizumi laughed. He walked over and wiped off some cherry blossoms from his boyfriend’s hair. “Dumbass.”  
   
 Oikawa smiled. He leaned over and kissed Iwaizumi’s cheek. “We never went to that Ookagawa.”  
   
 “Huh?”  
   
 “Ookagawa River! Five hundred cherry blossoms!”  
   
 “Oh yeah.” Iwaizumi smiled. “You ran off.”  
   
 “Ooops.”  
   
 “We’ll go there soon enough. The cherry blossoms bloomed a little late this year, so maybe they’ll last longer.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 They went to Sugawara’s place next. It was odd, for Iwaizumi, since he’d been in the exact hallway before, every time he went to Tooru’s place, but now he had to turn left instead of right. When they stepped in, Sugawara excused himself to make them a pot of tea. Iwaizumi commented on how at least Oikawa’s best friend knew how to be a proper host. Oikawa whined a bit, Lev laughed at him. Sugawara’s mom came out as well, but didn’t want to intrude on her son talking to his friends (even though they assured her she wasn’t). She met Iwaizumi; and, although it was short, she seemed to like him instantly.  
   
 Oikawa smiled. Good.  
   
 Mom liking them meant +2 Sugaspection Points.  
   
 They went to Lev’s room, which was the guest room.  
   
 It was plain, for the most part, but Lev had started decorating with photos in silver frames and other things, slowly settling in.  
   
 Iwaizumi looked around. “Are you going to be staying here for a while, then?”  
   
 “A while, yeah… I don’t, really know?” Lev smiled a happy wiggly smile. “I’m gonna try to churn more of my book out.”  
   
 Oikawa bounced on the bed. “Working on your next novel?”  
   
 “Yeah!” Lev’s eyes lit up. “Well. Kind of.” He pouted. “I was really feeling it, but then parents… and bluh bluh, and I don’t know. Then I wasn’t feeling it. But I’m gonna go to that coffee shop lots; I wrote most of my last book there, so maybe it’ll work.”  
   
 Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow. “So you actually are published?”  
   
 “Yep!” Lev beamed, though he shuffled his feet a bit. “Well, only two things. One’s a collection of short stories… I didn’t really plan them, just kind of happened. The other’s just a light novel. But it got a lot of interest, though.” He scratched his nose, letting out a nervous laugh. “But yeah, looking forward to what’s next!”  
   
 Suga smiled. “Mom told me you got some contracts?”  
   
 “Well, offers. Nothing final. I didn’t take them… I don’t know. I just, kind of told them I’m just a kid so give me space? Well, I said it more polite than that, obviously, but more or less that. But, yeah… I’m working on another light novel now.”  
   
 Oikawa smiled. “What’s it about?”  
   
 “Ah, it’s kind of dumb. It’s the kind of typical boy meets girl, but she’s you know half-octopus. The usual stuff. I’m trying to spice it up!”  
   
 Without thinking, Iwaizumi blurted out “Lemon.”  
   
 They looked at him.  
   
 Lev blinked. “What.”  
   
 “Oh.” Iwaizumi coughed. “Sorry. If you, uh, want to season octopus, usually just a bit of fresh lemon, and maybe a dash of olive oil. A couple herbs if you want, but not too much. Octopus is really good on its own, so it doesn’t need seasoning to spice it up. Most seafood’s like that, though, but not all.”  
   
 They all stared.  
   
 Iwaizumi rubbed his tongue against the inside of his mouth. “Sorry.”  
   
 “Iwa-chan.” Oikawa walked over and hugged him. “You should make me octopus.”  
   
 Lev tilted his head. “Are you a food expert?”  
   
 Suga smiled. “Judging by those bentos…”  
   
 Iwaizumi shrugged, cheeks warming.  
   
 Oikawa laughed. “Iwa-chan’s embarrassed!” He kissed Iwaizumi’s cheek once, twice, three times, four—  
   
 “Stop that!”  
   
 “Aww. You know what I think, Hajime? I think…” He gasped. “I think I have a disease! And it can only be cured by having a cumshot in my mouth.”  
   
 Iwaizumi grabbed the back of his head and threw him to the floor.  
   
 Oikawa toppled over, bursting into a laughing fit.  
   
 Iwaizumi looked at the other two. “Sorry.”  
   
 “Nah.” Suga waved his hand. “He deserved that one. I wish I was that strong, would make being his best friend a lot easier.”  
   
 “Koushi!” Oikawa pouted. “You’re being mean to me too!”  
   
 Lev laughed, loud. “This is why I love being here!”  
   
 “Anikiiiii!”  
   
 “Otooutoo!”  
   
 They embraced, holding each other tight.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “You know I wasn’t kidding about having a disease only curable by a cumshot.”  
   
 Iwaizumi, without looking away from the movie they were watching, reached over and grabbed the back of Oikawa’s head. He shoved it down against the sofa.  
   
 “Ow, ow ow!”  
   
 Iwaizumi let go immediately. “Sorry!”  
   
 “No keep going!” Oikawa looked up, eyes wide. “That was kinda hot.”  
   
 Iwaizumi stared at him for a full minute. “You’re such a freak.”  
   
 They were at Oikawa’s place now, alone late at night, watching some old rerun movie.  
   
 “Come on, though…” Oikawa wiggled his way over and kissed Iwaizumi’s shoulder. “I wanna put it in my mouth, Hajime… Just a blowjob? A little blowjob?”  
   
 Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow. “A little blowjob?”  
   
 “Hm, you’re right, that doesn’t make much sense. There’s not much little about you…”  
   
 “Tooru.” Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. “You’re making zero attempt to set the mood.”  
   
 “Fine!” Oikawa got up and zoomed away. When he zoomed back, the lights were off, T.V. muted, candles were lit on the low coffee table between the sofa and the T.V., and Oikawa had changed from his uniform to a pair of tight black jeans and a loose baby blue shirt. He leaned on Iwaizumi.  
   
 Iwaizumi frowned. “How did you do that so fa—?”  
   
 “Shh.” Oikawa had a piece of paper in his hand. He folded it, smoothed the folds, then tore it into even squares. He had a pen and began writing things on each piece. He then held them up. “Close your eyes and pick one.”  
   
 “What are these?”  
   
 “Foreplay.”  
   
 “Tooru—”  
   
 “—Trust me, Hajime.” He smiled, innocently, purely. A gorgeous smile that could kill a man. “They’re different types of kisses. Butterfly kiss, Eskimo kiss, French kiss, cheek kisses. It’s a kissing game, come on.”  
   
 Iwaizumi felt a smile building up but he forced it down. He picked one.  
   
 “You didn’t close your eyes, Hajime.”  
   
 “Well I didn’t see what was on it, so…”  
   
 Oikawa pouted.  
   
 Iwaizumi stared at him, watching the warm candlelight that smelled of roses and cinnamon flicker on his face. He sighed and put it back. This time he kept his eyes closed and picked one. He opened his eyes again. “Cheek kiss.”  
   
 Oikawa leaned over and, gently, pressed his soft lips against Iwaizumi’s cheek.  
   
 The kiss must have been fire, because his cheek burned after that. Iwaizumi gave one back, quick, as fast as he could, as if it were a quick one in public, just to get it over with.  
   
 Oikawa smiled nonetheless.  
   
 Iwaizumi swallowed hard.  
   
  _That smile…_  
   
 He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, taking another piece of paper. He looked at it. “Upside-down kiss.”  
   
 Oikawa moved back and then spun, so he was on his back. He wiggled to give Iwaizumi enough distance. “This is how aliens kiss, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “Is it now?”  
   
 “Mhm.”  
   
 “Do you have a lot of experience kissing aliens?”  
   
 “Don’t get jealous. You still get to kiss me.”  
   
 “Shut up.”  
   
 “Make me.”  
   
 Iwaizumi leaned over, closing his eyes as he brought their lips together. It was odd, but not bad. He smiled into the kiss before pulling away. He couldn’t help but laugh.  
   
 Oikawa did too. And Iwaizumi knew he had long since fallen in love with that laugh, the carefree honest one. Oikawa flipped over and waved the cards. “Come on, next one, next one…”  
   
 Iwaizumi took another. “French kiss.”  
   
 They closed their eyes, sinking the world into darkness, and their lips met. Slowly, they kissed, feeling warm candlelight, surrounded by scents, feeling each other just to one another. Oikawa was the one who started with tongue, licking at the seam between their lips. Iwaizumi opened his mouth and put his arms around Oikawa, pulling him close.  
   
 Iwaizumi felt his knees go weak, and he was thankful he was sitting. He felt Oikawa’s arms snake around his neck and he thought that was where they belonged.  
   
 Iwaizumi had always been taught by life to keep his heart closed, locked away.  
   
 He’d felt pain.  
   
 He wanted no more of it.  
   
 If it meant losing a chance at happiness, Iwaizumi would never take the risk—he’d never get close to anyone he could lose. It was forever or never, and he knew nobody could realistically offer him forever. Life was complicated, people changed, life changed. Iwaizumi didn’t believe in fate nor soulmates; but, even if soulmates existed, Iwaizumi knew life would fuck his soulmate over somehow. He’d never have forever, he’d never have the person he wanted, he’d never have anything—and that meant he shouldn’t try.  
   
 But…  
   
 There was…  
   
 Oikawa kissed him with so much life, pouring passion into him, pouring passion into him and filling him, filling him and making him overflow.  
   
 Iwaizumi lived by rules.  
   
 Oikawa broke them all.  
   
 Iwaizumi shoved Oikawa down, pressing him down on the couch. He heard a muffled moan and he didn’t care. He put his hands on Oikawa’s hips and moved up, feeling that body he wanted—he wanted so badly.  
   
 Oikawa responded with a muffled chuckle and moan, pouring those noises right into Iwaizumi’s mouth.  
   
 Iwaizumi was getting hard, and he didn’t care. He began grinding on Oikawa, as they had done before, and broke the kiss, kissing Oikawa’s neck instead.  
   
 “Ah,” Oikawa gasped. “But the other kisses—”  
   
 “Fuck the other kisses,” muttered Iwaizumi. “You said you want to suck me off?”  
   
 Oikawa grabbed Iwaizumi’s crotch. “God, yes.”  
   
 “Then come on.”  
   
 Oikawa gave a teasing smile.  
   
 Oikawa had things a lot more planned out than people thought. With Iwaizumi’s eyes closed, he guided the kisses in the right order. After French kiss was supposed to be long kiss, to get things heated – and then he would end with temptation kiss: That would have been the two of them leaning close, and the first person who kissed would lose. He had planned to sit in Iwaizumi’s lap and throw his arms around his boyfriend’s neck, and he’d give a cute little look that would easily make Iwaizumi ravish him.  
   
 He liked the scenario he had made up on the spot.  
   
 But who was he kidding?  
   
 Reality was always better.  
   
 He grabbed the outline of Iwaizumi’s cock through his pants, giving it teasing rubs. He kissed Iwaizumi, rough, hot, letting the thrill tinder and flame, grow and burn—spread like wildfire.  
   
 Iwaizumi kissed like a savage, finally unleashing the desire locked behind lock and key.  
   
 Oikawa broke the kiss, moving his mouth down to Iwaizumi’s neck, kissing, nibbling. He ran his hands down Iwaizumi’s chest. He pushed Iwaizumi back, so he was sitting along the length of the couch. He brought their lips together, again. He reached down, unbuttoning the pants. He reached through the hole, wiggling with his fingers as he tried to find the hole in Iwaizumi’s boxers; but, eventually, he did, and he continued. He pulled it out, pumping it with his hand, moving the foreskin back and forth.  
   
 Iwaizumi broke the kiss, to let out a noise.  
   
 Oikawa grinned. He gave no warning as he dove down, pushing the purple-pink head into his mouth.  
   
 “Ah,” Iwaizumi’s whole body jolted.  
   
 Oikawa pushed as much as he could into his mouth, then moved back up, then back down, then back up. He bobbed his head on it, focusing only on giving pleasure.  
   
 “Fuck.” Iwaizumi threaded his fingers into Oikawa’s soft hair. He grabbed the back of his head, pushing it up and down in rhythm of his movements. Warm, wet, hot. The heat, the saliva, the way Oikawa gave flicks with his tongue when he moved up, the way he bobbed his mouth on it, the pressure from the sucks—Iwaizumi gasped. He threw his head back, letting out a heavy-heated “Tooru…”  
   
 Oh how he loved how Iwaizumi said his name.  
   
 “Tooru…”  
   
 Oikawa didn’t slow down—not once—but he did flick his eyes up, to watch Iwaizumi exasperated, pushed to the limits so easily, so so easily. Oikawa liked seeing him react, liked seeing him enjoy. And because he enjoyed it, and so deeply wanted to see it, he continued to bob his head, up and down, as the cock moved in and out of his mouth. He relaxed his throat and pushed more in, another inch, another inch. He got down to the point where he had it all in his mouth, in his throat; he was nuzzling the black hairs that peaked out of Iwaizumi’s boxers, taking in the scent.  
   
 “Fuck, Tooru…” it was so desperate, “Fuck…” so needy, so rich, “Tooru…”  
   
 Oikawa closed his eyes, keeping himself focused. The way Iwaizumi said his name… His thighs quivered, knees tingled, warm wetness between his legs… He raised his head, until the cock slipped out of his mouth. He grabbed it, feeling its heat, feeling how hard it was. He kissed the side of the head then swirled his tongue around it, before pushing it back in his mouth.  
   
 Iwaizumi brought an arm up, subconsciously bringing his free hand up and biting his wrist as he watched Oikawa. So wild, so uninhibited, so into it—he watched Oikawa move from tip to base, back and forth, and he let out a whimper. His hand in Oikawa’s hair grabbed a tuft and guided him, making him move faster, so that gorgeous mouth… His breathing became heavier as he could only focus on the all-consuming heat…  
   
 Oikawa continued, up and down, up and down.  
   
 Iwaizumi watched him take his whole cock, with so much ease.  
   
 It was the best sight he had ever seen.  
   
 How many times had Iwaizumi thought about cumming in that pretty little mouth? As much as he felt filthy for imagining it, it was his usual fantasy. He had imagined, a hundred times by now what it would like to see half his cock between Oikawa’s lips. He had imagined it would be a sight to behold, that it would be the hottest thing he ever saw.  
   
 When Oikawa looked up at him, making eye contact.  
   
 Iwaizumi knew he wasn’t wrong.  
   
 “Tooru I’m going to…”  
   
 Oikawa moved his head back and grabbed the cock, firmly. He stroked it quickly. “Yeah?” he asked, so innocently.  
   
 “Shut up!” Iwaizumi tried to sound brave, but it came out in a whimper. He bit his lip, closing his eyes. “Fuck.” He bit his lip and felt his knees tingle. “Ah!”  
   
  _He came._  
   
 Cum hit Oikawa in the face.  
   
 And Iwaizumi was half-sure that was on purpose. When he saw the sight, he took a desperate breath before he spoke: “That’s hot.”  
   
 Oikawa had one eye closed as he smiled. “Uhuh. Want me to take a selfie?”  
   
 Iwaizumi snorted. “No. Just. Shut up. God.” He grabbed the tissue and cleaned Oikawa’s face.  
   
 Oikawa let himself be pampered.  
   
 Iwaizumi felt his cheeks warm. “Hey um… can I…?”  
   
 Oikawa blinked. “Oh. You mean.” He wiggled. “Me?”  
   
 “Yeah.” Iwaizumi looked down Oikawa’s body. “Can I, you know, return the favour? I mean, I don’t know if I know what I’ll be doing…”  
   
 “It’s not that hard, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “Did you just pun?”  
   
 “Hehehehehehehehehe.”  
   
 Iwaizumi half wanted to hit him, but he kissed his cheek. “Can I… see you naked?”  
   
 Oikawa’s laugh stopped and he blinked, cheeks tinting pink. He looked at Iwaizumi and bit his lip. He said nothing for a while before a soft, “Okay.”  
   
 Iwaizumi tensed, brows knitting together. “Only if you’re, really okay with it.”  
   
 Oikawa fiddled his hands together instead of replying right away. “Yeah.”  
   
 “Tooru.”  
   
 “I want to do this.”  
   
 “You don’t have to.”  
   
 “I know…”  
   
 “And if you want me to stop, at any time…”  
   
 “Um. Don’t worry. Okay? I… want you to see me.”  
   
 “You don’t sound like you want to.”  
   
 “I know, but… it’s dumb, okay?” Oikawa’s eyes crinkled as he forced a smile. “I just, want to know you won’t leave me, or something.”  
   
 Iwaizumi was torn between ‘You can’t be serious’ and ‘I understand’. Instead he went with, “I won’t.” He leaned over, kissing his cheek. “I’m not with you for your looks, or sex… But you’re gorgeous. I’d like to see you, if you’re okay with it.”  
   
 “Gorgeous.” Oikawa nodded twice. “Gorgeous, right. Okay.” He tugged his shirt off.  
   
 Iwaizumi, realising his dick was still kind of hanging out of his pants, quickly stuffed that back in and zipped his pants back up.  
   
 Oikawa sat back against the armrest of the couch. He pulled his jeans off, leaving him in his undies. He tugged those off too, then tossed the clothes aside. He closed his eyes, not wanting to know how Iwaizumi would react. He knew Iwaizumi was sensitive and caring, but people couldn’t hide disgust as easily as other emotions. He half expected an ‘ew’ or something, but instead he felt a kiss on his neck. He opened his eyes.  
   
 Iwaizumi was leaning over him, kissing his neck, then his shoulder, then his chest, and then his tummy…  
   
 Oikawa closed his eyes again, feeling his whole body tense.  
   
 What he felt next was a warm, wet tongue.  
   
 Oikawa gasped. He felt it running up and down the cleft, the curve of his body.  
   
 Iwaizumi flattened his tongue as he moved it up and down, leading with his nose on the upstroke.   
   
 Oikawa felt his thighs shake. He was already warmed up and wet from the noises Iwaizumi made while being deepthroated, and now this broad, hot pleasure was making him tingle. Iwaizumi flicked his tongue up at the clit every once in a while, causing him to jump and gasp. He took a deep breath, and relaxed; it felt good, actually, and he wanted to enjoy it. He opened his eyes, looked down, and saw Iwaizumi’s head buried between his legs.  
   
 Both of Iwaizumi’s hands were under Oikawa’s knees, keeping him open. He kissed the side, and kissed his thighs, before going back to his pussy. He firmly planted a kiss right at the entrance, then lapped his tongue up and down the crease. His tongue was narrow now, pinpointing the pleasure to wherever Oikawa gasped. He ran his tongue up and down, up and down, a steady rhythm—but he changed it up every once in a while, a lick against the outer lip, a dip near the entrance.   
   
 Oikawa gasped. He felt hot and warm, knowing he was getting wetter. He couldn’t deny that fears moved through his mind--what if he got too wet? What if Iwaizumi didn’t like him? What if it started to hurt and he had to ask to stop?--but that hot, damp mouth against him was burning away all thought. “Hajime,” he breathed.   
   
 Iwaizumi pressed both lips against the bottom of the outer fold and sucked, moving up as he sucked, until he got to the clit, and nuzzled it gently.  
   
 “Hajime!”  
   
 He opened his mouth and ran his tongue, in a broad stroke, over the clit again.  
   
 Oikawa squirmed.  
   
 Iwaizumi planted several kisses up and down the outside, then narrowed his tongue to move zigzag over the inner folds.  
   
 Oikawa squirmed, again, but gasped this time.  
   
 Iwaizumi moved his head back, just a bit. “Am I doing good?”  
   
 “Yeah,” Oikawa said, breathless. “Hell yeah.”  
   
 Iwaizumi smirked. He dove back in, nuzzling Oikawa. His tongue, broad again, licked up and down. He tongued the entrance, tasting just how wet Oikawa was. He had nothing to compare it to, true, but judging from those blissful noises Oikawa was making… He swirled his tongue around the entrance, feeling Oikawa’s legs twitch. He moved in, nuzzling the clit, and heard a whimper.  
   
 “Haajiiiiimee.”  
   
 Iwaizumi kept up the movement, swirling, swirling.  
   
 Constant, constant.  
   
 Rhythm, rhythm.  
   
 Oikawa closed his eyes, but opened them again. As much as he wanted to hide inside himself, he also wanted to see – to see Iwaizumi. When he did: It was everything he wanted. Iwaizumi completely focused on him, nothing but him, loving him, enjoying him. “Hajime?”  
   
 Iwaizumi flicked his eyes up, whispering a “Yeah, babe?”  
   
 Oikawa felt thrills and chills, Iwaizumi’s breath warm against his wetness, his thighs shaking, earth shaking, world shaking. He realised, then, he was utterly naked and Iwaizumi was utterly worshipping him. His question, lost now, faded from his mind. His thoughts were heavier, too hot to function, and his knees wiggled. He grabbed a fistful of Iwaizumi’s hair, as Iwaizumi had done to him. He moved his hips, almost humping Iwaizumi’s face. He felt as though his knees were going to give out and he would fall (and he wasn’t even standing).  
   
 “Like this?”  
   
 “Yes,” he whispered. “Hell yes. Don’t stop, Hajime.”  
   
 Iwaizumi smirked.  
   
 Oikawa gasped. He was so, fucking, wet. His body was tingling, all over, down to his core. He felt like he was burning, and it was amazing. His pussy throbbed and he whimpered.  
   
 Iwaizumi nuzzled his clit again and then pressed a firm kiss against the entrance.  
   
 Oikawa felt the mouth again and closed his eyes. He didn’t notice the way hot, heavy noises left his throat. He didn’t notice how his moans chilled Iwaizumi’s bones or set him on fire. When he shut his eyes, he closed the world out. He removed all the thoughts, all the external, all the excess. He poured himself purely in the physical form and felt Iwaizumi’s mouth against him, licking, kissing, nipping with his lips… He felt the way Iwaizumi nuzzled his clit, gentle, but constant. The way it made his body squeeze on itself, the way it felt like pleasure was something physical and wet rolling under his skin, reaching every ounce of his body.  
   
  _Fuck._  
   
 Oikawa felt a rise in his body, like water shaking and beginning to start the roiling boil. His moans were burning and shameless, and the feelings became more. Iwaizumi focused on his clit with the same gentle but constant feeling. Oikawa’s knees twitched and his toes curled. He didn’t realise he was saying Iwaizumi’s first name over, and over, and over; he didn’t realise how he was asking for more, for more, for more. He merely opened his legs as he moved his head back. He merely opened up as his body began to burn. He merely breathed like a dying man as the water boiled over.  
   
  _Bliss._  
   
 He felt it—every cell of his body—burn; the squeeze and the release, the fluttery intense feeling that caused him to scream “Hajime!”  
   
 Iwaizumi moved his head back, just looking, admiring.  
   
 The candlelight flickered.   
   
 Oikawa’s body had a small gleam of sweat, from pleasure and nervousness that were both long gone from him now. His body lay limp, relaxing. His breathing hitched, but began to calm. His eyes were closed. But it was his lips, in their small happy little smile.  
   
 Iwaizumi stared, watching, before he leaned over and kissed Oikawa’s jaw.  
   
 Oikawa opened his eyes. He looked at Iwaizumi and then down at his body.  
   
 Without thinking Iwaizumi blurted out, “Yay! It’s your cunt!”  
   
 “Yay! It’s my cunt!”  
   
 Silence.  
   
 An explosion of laughter—both of them releasing torrents of chuckles and giggles, snickers and tee-hees, laughing until Oikawa threw his head back, body shaking, and Iwaizumi doubled over, nuzzling Oikawa’s shoulder and feeling his chest about to burst.  
   
 Oikawa had to take several deep breaths before he could speak. “If you tell me that was your first time eating someone out…”  
   
 “Um.” Iwaizumi gave a sheepish grin. “It was, actually.”  
   
 “Were you made to eat my cunt?”  
   
 “No I just. You know. Researched. Google.”  
   
 “God bless Google-chan-san.”  
   
 Iwaizumi snorted and kissed his neck. “I think I uh, probably… over-researched? I was.” He wiggled a little. “Kind of nervous.”  
   
 Oikawa chuckled. “Kiss me.”  
   
 Iwaizumi reeled his head back. “Our mouths are filthy.”  
   
 “Do I look like I care, Hajime?”  
   
 Iwaizumi gave him a quick kiss, more of a peck really, on the lips.  
   
 “Carry me to bed, Hajime.”  
   
 “It’s too early to sleep…”  
   
 “Then… maybe we should sleep early.”  
   
 “Hmmm. There’s an idea.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 The white queen knocked over the black rook, widening the imbalance between the destroyed white and black chess pieces.  
   
 Akaashi bit his lip. He hadn’t seen that coming. He glanced up to Bokuto, who oddly enough had a neutral expression. Akaashi, according to rumours, had an I.Q. of over 125, making him in the top 5 percentile of all people. Bokuto, who was hallmarked as a class clown for the entirety of his life, however, was beating him fairly easily. And it wasn’t the first time, but this time was different.  
   
 Kenma, their usual uninterested passive audience, looked up from his phone. “What’s wrong, Keiji? You’re distracted.”  
   
 Akaashi realised that must have been why Bokuto wasn’t as happy about eating pieces as usual. “He’s sleeping with the enemy, and he doesn’t know it.”  
   
 “Is he?” asked Kenma, in his usual low tone. He watched Akaashi’s knight take one of Bokuto’s rooks, knowing Bokuto would take the knight with his own next round. “We don’t know if he’s the enemy.”  
   
 Akaashi watched Bokuto ‘eat’ his next chess piece and he frowned. “Should we tell him? Skirt, I mean.” He moved his pawn.  
   
 Bokuto moved his rook back.  
   
 Akaashi grabbed his last bishop, about to move it across the board, but then paused.  
   
 “I don’t think so,” responded Kenma. “No. We shouldn’t. It’s against the rules.”  
   
 Bokuto looked up at him, frowning. “But we’re above the rules!”  
   
 Kenma smiled. How could he not? “Just because we can break the rules doesn’t mean we should. Sectin doesn’t play messenger boy between the Lights. Their identity is theirs to give or hide away. And we don’t know if he’s an enemy, just that he’s not with Skirt. It doesn’t mean Blade’s actively working against them. Not everything is black and white.”  
   
 Akaashi decided to move his bishop across the board.  
   
 Bokuto took it with his queen.  
   
 Akaashi frowned. How had he not seen that? He could take the queen with his own queen, but would it be worth it? The rook was standing right there, so his own queen would perish. “So we stay silent?”  
   
 “Yes.” Kenma closed his eyes for a moment, before opening them again. “As we always do. It’s not our place to interfere.”  
   
 Akaashi took the queen with his.  
   
 Bokuto took his queen with his rook.  
   
 Akaashi took the rook with a knight.  
   
 Bokuto took the knight with his knight. “Check.”  
   
 Akaashi frowned, moving his king.  
   
 Bokuto moved one of his pawns.  
   
 “Watch out,” muttered Kenma. “He’s going to get another queen.”  
   
 Akaashi looked at him. “So we do nothing?”  
   
 Kenma nodded. “It’s not our place.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 They cuddled, warm, against one another. They were spooning: Oikawa’s back against Iwaizumi’s chest. Iwaizumi had both arms around his boyfriend, eyes closed, just feeling the soft skin. Oikawa smiled, eyes closed. He was sure he was halfway to dreamland when he heard a ringing. His eyes snapped open.  
   
 Oikawa reached around, looking for his phone.  
   
 Iwaizumi rubbed his eyes. “Here.”  
   
 Oikawa turned around and saw his phone was between them.  
   
 Iwaizumi grabbed it, vaguely seeing the word ‘Mom’ before offering it.  
   
 Oikawa took it, glanced at the name, and got up. He grabbed a new pair of underwear, loose black boxers, and slipped them on as he pressed the phone against his ear. “Hello?” he asked as he left the room.  
   
 Iwaizumi blinked. He heard vague things, ‘Can’t talk right now’, and other words. Oikawa’s footsteps went further and further, as if he was running away from Iwaizumi, but Iwaizumi didn’t take it personally. He knew Oikawa was awkward about his mom, and he knew better. When Oikawa didn’t return, the bed felt cold. Iwaizumi got up as well, leaving the room.  
   
 Oikawa sat on one of the bar stools, feet dangling. His phone was off, in his hands, in his lap. He was frowning, but not angry. He looked distant, removed, like a faraway photo.  
   
 Iwaizumi walked over, tilting his head. “You okay?”  
   
 Oikawa looked at him. He smiled. “Perfect.”  
   
 Iwaizumi just stared.  
   
 Oikawa took a deep breath. “No. No I’m not okay.”  
   
 Iwaizumi sighed, smiled, and pulled Oikawa into a hug. “Come here.”  
   
 Oikawa closed his eyes, pressing his head against Iwaizumi’s shoulder. It was a bit awkward, since the bar stool gave him a boost, but he didn’t care. He just leaned into Iwaizumi, melted into Iwaizumi. “I’m sad.”  
   
 “Sad?”  
   
 “So sad not even a blowjob could help.”  
   
 “Fuck… that’s pretty sad, huh?”  
   
 Oikawa laughed, a shy, nervous, high-pitched giggle.  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled. “What’s wrong, Prince?”  
   
 Oikawa kept his eyes closed, nuzzling deeper into Iwaizumi. “I love that nickname.”  
   
 “Yeah?”  
   
 “Say it again.”  
   
 “Prince.”  
   
 Oikawa kissed his cheek. “My mom’s coming… Not soon, but she’s going to come back from Tokyo at some point. And I don’t want her to. I mean it’s her house, so not much I can do, but… She never asks me or gives me warning—she drops in and expects me to just fucking—Sorry.” He closed his eyes. “Sorry.”  
   
 “It’s okay.” Iwaizumi kissed his cheek. “Talk to me about it.”  
   
 “I’m hungry… and I want food, Hajime.”  
   
 Iwaizumi pulled away and walked to the fridge. He opened it. There was nothing he could really make.  
   
 From the barstool, Oikawa looked too. “Wanna order pizza? No strippers, I promise. Just pizza.”  
   
 Iwaizumi let out a small chuckle. “Sure.”  
   
 “Oh. I have coupons.” Oikawa got off the stool and walked around the island counter. “See?” He held them up. “Coupons.”  
   
 “Nice. Pizza-La or?”  
   
 “Pizza-La.”  
   
 “Do you order a lot?”  
   
 “Well I can’t cook, so yeah.”  
   
 “Spoiled brat.”  
   
 “Spoiled Prince, you mean!”  
   
 “You could be spoiled milk for all I care.” Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. He wrapped his arms around Oikawa’s waist, kissing his shoulder. “Spoiled Prince.”  
   
 “That’s me.” Oikawa grinned. “I deserved to be spoiled, right?”  
   
 “Mhm.”  
   
 “Look, Iwa-chan.” He waved the coupon around. “We can get two medium pizzas for only thirty-five hundred yen.”  
   
 “Nice.” Iwaizumi looked at the coupon. “What should we get?”  
   
 “Mmmm, cheese and honey!”  
   
 Iwaizumi frowned. “Ew, no.”  
   
 “Hajime it is soooo good. Oh my God, it’s amazing. Yessss.”  
   
 “No.”  
   
 “Well there’s two pizzas. One for you, one for me.”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s frown melted away. “Fine.”  
   
 Oikawa wiggled a bit. “Could you make the phone call?”  
   
 “Sure, babe.”  
   
 When the food came, Oikawa’s was a monstrosity as far as Iwaizumi was concerned.  
   
 It had no sauce; instead, it was covered with a plethora of cheeses, from simple mozzarella and parmesan, to blue cheese and cream cheese. It also had cherry tomatoes and parsley. After it was baked, honey was poured on top, melting it, giving it a fine sweetness. Iwaizumi’s pizza was far more traditional, an Italian-style pizza with plenty of basil and chunky tomatoes.  
   
 They finished eating, brushed their teeth, and went back to bed.  
   
 In bed, it was dark save for the small moonlight that came through Oikawa’s curtains.  
   
 Iwaizumi kissed Oikawa’s forehead, sensing something off. “What’s wrong?”  
   
 “It’s been a while…”  
   
 “Since?”  
   
  _It’s been a while,_  Oikawa thought to himself,  _Since Angel attacked._  He smiled. “Since you kissed me, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “You loser.” Iwaizumi ran the pad of his thumb over Oikawa’s lips before kissing him gently.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Sugawara was walking alone, at night. He was notable with his grey hair reflecting the moonlight’s unique shine. It was an unnaturally cold night. Suga had even seen a puddle of water frozen to ice. He tugged his pink scarf tighter around him, thinking about the pale second year that he let borrow his blue scarf. He still hadn’t gotten that back yet. To be fair, Yamaguchi had it ready to give back to him at club on yesterday, but he left class early to go to the airport to pick up Lev.  
   
 Suga stopped.  
   
 He felt something.  
   
 Someone.  
   
 A hand over him, eyes watching him, a vibe, a dark… swirling, feeling.  
   
 Sugawara looked over his shoulder. “Are you following me?”  
   
 Kuroo wore a black kimono, with several sashes tied around the waist and arms. A samurai’s kimono. He also had a studded leather shoulder pad on the right side. “Nah, just checking in on you.”  
   
 Sugawara’s eyes narrowed. He turned so he could fully face the older man. He felt something dark, something twisted in his gut. His hands began shaking and he stuffed them in his pocket.  
   
 Kuroo laughed.  
   
 “Kuroo-san,” he used his polite voice, “I don’t need to be checked up on.”  
   
 Kuroo raised a hand to the sky; and, then, suddenly—  
   
 A burning bright bolt—a blast from the heavens—thunder crashed down. The lightning forked, splitting off and hitting different light posts. One exploded, while the rest crashed against the street, hitting cars and sending glass flying everywhere.  
   
 “Shit!” Sugawara screamed, covering his head with his hands.  
   
 “Listen, kid. Accidents might happen, you know?” Kuroo cocked his head to the side. “Got an answer to my offer yet, Sugar boy?”


	15. Set

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **What the fresh fuck!?** Nikooki (my stand-in-beta!) just drew [Guns and Roses Fanart!!](http://nikooki.tumblr.com/post/133964591333/i-had-the-random-idea-of-doing-a-speedy-run-draw) Just look at Oikawa's smile and omfg. Please please please check it out! And please give it a like and reblog~ and consider looking at the other arts on her blog too! I am legit so happy. I've been smiling all day, hehehehehehehehe. <3
> 
> Okay but, another what the fresh fuck? A _second_ surprise chapter? Well, I thought why not, and also _thank you guys_ for the overwhelming positive response from last chapter! It was my first time writing that kind of scene, so I'm glad you guys enjoyed it! Sadly this is our last chapter until December. I'm totally behind on NaNo LOL. 
> 
> ALSO: Since some people are posting on tumblr about this, just to let you guys know I will be tracking the tags #Remembrance123 (that's me!) and #ficGAR. #ficGAR -could- stand for fic Guns And Roses, or it could stand for ficGARBAGE, but either way it fits because I am anime trash! But yeah, the new tumblr update has made any tags with a colon somewhat malfunction, so please feel free to use those tags, feel free to message me on [Twitter (@Remembrance123)](https://twitter.com/Remembrance123) or [Tumblr (Remembrance123)](http://remembrance123.tumblr.com/); and, as always, feel free to leave me a comment here on AO3 to tell me how I'm doing! AO3 comments are the ones I reply fastest to, since it's just easiest for me, but any of them work!
> 
> Hope you enjoy Chapter 15!
> 
> * * *

 Tsuki wore red robes as waters that glowed bright blue swirled around him in a vortex of streams. He had both hands outstretched, surrounding a small globe of water. He was looking, looking, searching—digging through colours of vibrance and those of naught. His golden eyebrows furrowed in a frown and he bit his lip, an old habit. He used to bite his lip a lot when he was younger, and it was only when he was younger that he realised that was a sign of weakness, technically. Now, though, as all his focus was in his magic, he could rarely spare a thought on anything as insignificant.  
   
 Behind him, the door opened.  
   
 “Anything?”  
   
 Tsukishima’s eyes narrowed. “No.” He snapped his finger, and the water burst outwards in a splash, dissipating into the air. He frowned, shaking his head. “Can’t find a damn thing.”  
   
 “Your foresight is better than mine, a lot better… So if you can’t find anything, then…”  
   
 “Then that means there’s nothing to foresee. There’s no one path the future can take, no linearity to time. It means too many variables are undetermined.” He moved his hand and his robe disappeared. “It’s the worst time to live. Anything can happen. We have no way to prepare.” He turned to his older brother. “It’s been too long since there’s been any major attack. Way too long.”  
   
 Akiteru bit his lip. “And I’m going to guess we’re not just getting lucky, or something, right?”  
   
 “Yeah. They… whoever  _they_  are, are doing something.” He walked out of the room, and eventually stepped out of the house. It was an hour after sunrise. He grabbed his bag, that he left by the entrance. Akiteru didn’t follow him (and he glanced over his shoulder to check). Still, he continued talking: “All evidence points to the fact that they are, in some way, up to something. The sad part is I have no fucking idea what that means. If they weren’t doing something, they would have attacked by now, acted, done anything…”  
   
 He walked across the courtyard.  
   
 “So,” he went on, lost in thought, “Maybe they’re just gathering forces? But, no. No they would be—”  
   
 “Tsukiiiiiiiiii!”  
   
 Tsukishima glanced up.  
   
 With wisps of red, and the slight sight of an orange blur, Hinata bounced in front of him, in his school clothes. “Hey! Hi! Hi!”  
   
 “… Hello.”  
   
 “You’re super creepy when you’re talking to yourself, Tsuki!”  
   
 Tsukishima frowned, looking away, but not without stealing a glance of Hinata’s smile, how it burned in his mind, and felt warm, like the sunshine itself. Strange. “What are you doing here?”  
   
 “I couldn’t sleep! I drank this coffee thing Yachi’s mom drinks!” Hinata laughed. “I stayed up all night! It was great! So I came to see you!”  
   
 “Why me?”  
   
 “Um. I don’t know?”  
   
 Tsukishima bit his inner cheek to stop himself from smiling, the minor pain stopped his happiness in its tracks. “Are you ready for school?”  
   
 “Yeah!”  
   
 Akiteru popped out of the house. “Have fun!”  
   
 “Shut up,” Tsukishima muttered; as Hinata yelled a, “We will!”  
   
 Tsuki scoffed. “Come on. Let’s just go.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
  _Sometimes, Tooru, the Dark attempts to break all the gates at once._  Oikawa heard his mother’s voice, reverberating in his head, rattling his skull. He was walking to school with Iwaizumi and Sugawara, but he was a couple steps behind them. They were talking to each other about something or another, and they were pretty into the conversation.  _They bide their time,_  she had said,  _until they can attack, all at once. Surround you. Kill you. Kill everything. They exist solely to disrupt balance. They want to snuff out all the Light they can, and all at the same time if possible._  
   
 His mother’s voice was haunting.  
   
 Maybe it was because, at one time, she was his mentor, his hero. Oikawa Tooru looked up to her even before he changed his name to Tooru.  
   
 Oikawa shook his head.  
   
 He hated hearing her voice, but good advice was good advice.  
   
  _It’s a bit like suicide…_  That metaphor always made him sick, especially since his father…  _People commit suicide for many reasons, but if people do it out of depression… Well, there’s a bit of a boost to their mood, a boost in energy, and everyone around them thinks this is great—because maybe they’re coming out of depression. But it’s the opposite. They’re getting ready, ready to commit the act, to kill themselves. They need energy to go through with it, and they will muster it up for that sole purpose._  
   
 Oikawa shuddered, shivering down to his bones.  
   
 He shook his head in a pathetic attempt to get the thoughts out of his head.  
   
 But the metaphor was strong: Never assume a good thing is just a good thing.  
   
 A quiet in a storm is never a good thing.  
   
 Suicide.  
   
 Oikawa had never considered it, simply because… Well. It didn’t need to be said. Some people believed offing themselves would solve it all, end all their problems, but it just destroyed everyone around them. Some people believed it solved problems.  
   
 “Is that why you killed yourself?”  
   
 Iwaizumi and Sugawara stopped, turning back to look right at him.  
   
 Oikawa, eyes wide, glanced between to the two of them. “Sorry, nothing!” He moved his hands, as if trying to shake something off as he laughed. They didn’t look convinced. “Let’s get some bentos!” He ran towards the convenience store, but—  
   
 Iwaizumi caught his arm.  
   
 “Tooru,” whispered Suga. “Are you thinking about your dad?”  
   
 Oikawa didn’t say.  
   
 “It’s okay,” assured Suga.  
   
 Iwaizumi let go.  
   
 Oikawa went to the convenience store, to grab lunch for the three of them. He considered staying there all day.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “Dad?” asked Iwaizumi, outside.  
   
 Sugawara put both his hands behind him and interlocked his fingers. The cherry blossoms were still bright and in bloom, but there weren’t any in the area. He looked up. Still, little bits of pink could be seen on the leaves of green trees. “His dad went… missing. No body’s ever been found. Nobody knows what really happened. His mom is convinced he killed himself. But she… she never gives straight answers. He doesn’t get along with her, at all.”  
   
 “I can tell.” Iwaizumi bit his lip. “His mom said she might come back some time soon.”  
   
 Sugawara took a deep breath and screwed his eyes shut tight. He took a second before he opened them again. “I see.” He shook his head. “That must be why he seems off…”  
   
 “What should I do?”  
   
 “Hm… Tooru… needs time alone, oddly enough. When his mom comes, she stays with him, so all his alone time at home gets cut to shreds. Keep an eye on him, though. I don’t know. I always get worried.” He bit his lip. “But he usually just walks home, instead of taking the train, just to listen to music and have some time by himself. It’s kind of trying to find the right spot between keeping an eye on him and giving him space.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 After classes, they went to the anime club. Oikawa and Iwaizumi sat on the same chair (meaning Iwaizumi sat on the chair with Oikawa in his lap). While they got their five minute stretch break between episodes, they chose to stay where they were and mostly watch Nishinoya, Tanaka, and Hinata gush about something or another. Yachi would usually have joined in too, with high pitched squeaks, but she was helping Kiyoko set up the next episode. There wasn’t actually any setting up to do, but Oikawa didn’t comment. He could smell the gay. He didn’t want to interrupt it.  
   
 Sugawara took the seat next to them. “Hey,” he said with a smile, “What are you guys doing after school tomorrow? Are you free?”  
   
 “Sure,” chirped Oikawa.  
   
 “Well,” Iwaizumi added, “We have a date.”  
   
 “Oh.” Suga bit his lip.  
   
 “But we can reschedule.” Iwaizumi offered a smile. “What’s up?”  
   
 “Well, um, Daichi’s team has a volleyball game. It’s just a practice match, but the other team is coming here and it’s going to be in the main gym, so I figured maybe I could cheer him on? I don’t want to do it alone, though.”  
   
 “Oh.” Oikawa grinned. “I want to come!”  
   
 “Sure.” Iwaizumi nodded. “Sounds like fun.”  
   
 “Um,” came another voice. It was Yamaguchi, the newest member of the anime club, a bit shy, but he was adjusting. He clearly liked it here, spending more of his time talking to the quiet members than the louder ones. He turned to Suga, Oikawa, and Iwaizumi. “Are you talking about the volleyball game?”  
   
 “Yeah.” Oikawa nodded twice. “Wanna come watch the practice match?”  
   
 “Hinata and I are going,” he admitted. “We’re going to drag Tsuki along, and cheer on Kage…” He paused, looking around. “Kageyama.” He waited, for a full minute, but he didn’t appear. “Oh good.” About a second later, his phone pinged. He picked it up to see a message from the one and only and smiled, but put his phone down. “We can cheer them on together.”  
   
 Oikawa laughed. “Yeah, it’ll be a party! Kiyo-chan!”  
   
 Kiyoko looked up, adjusting her glasses. “I can’t,” she said easily (and when she spoke Yachi, Hinata, Nishinoya, and Tanaka all fell to the floor). “Busy tomorrow, family business.” She dipped her head as an apology.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “Hey.” Iwaizumi bit his lip. “Shimizu-san.”  
   
 Kiyoko looked up.  
   
 Iwaizumi gave a smile. He considered using ‘-chan’, like Oikawa did, but after knowing how related to Light and Dark she was, it just seemed too… innocent, maybe?  
   
 Club was over, and people were slowly gathering their things to go home.  
   
 “Yes, Iwaizumi-san?”  
   
 “Can we… talk?”  
   
 Kiyoko was silent, for a moment, and Iwaizumi wondered if she would decline, but she nodded.  
   
 “Iwa-chan,” Oikawa said in his playful sing-song voice, the one that made Iwaizumi’s heart flutter.  
   
 Kiyoko grabbed her books and held them against her chest. “Iwaizumi-san and I have some things to discuss, class issues.”  
   
 Oikawa pouted.  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled. “Text me?”  
   
 “Will do!”  
   
 Suga pulled Oikawa along. “Come on. I’ll walk home with you.”  
   
 “Okay!” Oikawa blew his boyfriend a kiss.  
   
 Iwaizumi caught it and pressed it against his heart.  
   
 It didn’t matter if it was the second time he did that, Oikawa let out a high giggle as he blushed.  
   
 Kiyoko looked between them with a sour taste in her mouth, but said nothing. As Kenma instructed.  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled, and forced it down as he turned to Kiyoko.  
   
 The two of them walked. They found out they were going the same way, so they walked side by side.  
   
 “You must be wondering,” she muttered, “About the Dark.”  
   
 “Yeah.” Iwaizumi bit his lip. “Not much has happened for a long time.”  
   
 They made their way to the school’s entrance and waited until the crosswalk lights changed before they crossed.  
   
 “Shimizu-san, I highly doubt Angel and the Dark have really just… up and vanished.”  
   
 “No. I do not believe so. Senior members from the Sectin share my opinion.”  
   
 “Senior members?”  
   
 “Independent members.”  
   
 Iwaizumi bit his lip. Independent  _was_  a bit better, he guessed. But it was the same shit different toilet as far as he was concerned. “What do you think is going on, then?”  
   
 “I haven’t told Skirt or the others yet, since Kozume-senpai hasn’t confirmed it, but…” She looked down, to her feet, then back up. “I believe they’ll send out another monster.”  
   
 “Another… monster?”  
   
 “Angel has attacked several times, individually. He seems content on fighting you one-on-one; and, although he can hold his own against two or even three of you, he tends to disappear after that. I hypothesise… that it is possible he is collecting information. He’s trying to figure out your combat styles, and how to counter them. That’s why he seems keen on one-on-one, so he can observe you better without the chaos of multiple people.”  
   
 “And since that’s not working…”  
   
 “Since that’s not working, with you and Skirt coming to each other’s rescue, I believe he may send out another monster. A large one. Similar to the hagfish he sent out before.”  
   
 “Hagfish?”  
   
 “The snake, eel-looking… slug… thing. The large one. Basically, by attacking the Lights, Angel is informing you and Skirt of his combat style. So, if he’s smart, and if he can really control the Dark as expected, he’ll resort to another large battle. He’ll most likely be observing, so I don’t think he’ll take part in the fight himself, unless he’s going to finish off someone who has been weakened.”  
   
 Iwaizumi bit his lip. He thought of them… Skirt, Fox, Staff… He didn’t necessarily want them to die (Skirt he could live without; he would let him be eaten… but he knew he needed Skirt to take down Angel, so…). The thought of Fox dying made him a bit sad, though. “I have a question, slightly related.”  
   
 They crossed another street and kept walking. “Yes, Iwaizumi-san?”  
   
 “What’s your power?”  
   
 Kiyoko’s feet stopped. A blooming sakura tree, full of deep reds, hung over them. She glanced up, watching little petals fall.  
   
 “You mentioned having some kind of power, that can only do one thing, but you never told me what it was.”  
   
 “All, or None,” she said softly. She adjusted her glasses and looked at him directly. “Have you heard of Alls and Nones?”  
   
 Iwaizumi cocked his head to the side. “No? I don’t think so.”  
   
 “Some people are ‘All’, others are ‘None’.” She glanced at him for a moment. She motioned to the right. “I’m heading this way.”  
   
 Iwaizumi blinked. “Ah.” He wasn’t going that way, but somehow he knew Kiyoko already knew. “Shall I walk you home?”  
   
 “I appreciate the offer.” She dipped her head in respect. “But it would be best to talk here. It’s a private street.”  
   
 Iwaizumi motioned to the bench nearby and they walked over. Iwaizumi took a seat and Kiyoko sat as well, smoothing her skirt.  
   
 “I admit,” she said softly, “I… don’t know too much about Alls or Nones. Nobody… does. But. They’re like personality traits, I suppose. Some people compare them to introversion and extroversion, but it’s not quite the same.”  
   
 “Hmmm.” Iwaizumi looked up. “Isn’t that just… bullshit? People want to categorise others.”  
   
 “It’s not complete… foolishness,” she said softly. “Some studies suggest medication effects introverts and extroverts differently, such as painkillers or headache relief medication. Introverts have to take more to achieve the same effect. There are also some statistically significant, but minor, brain structure differences between introverts and extroverts.”  
   
 Iwaizumi blinked. “Really?”  
   
 “Yes, I’m… very interested in neurobiology,” she said with a shy smile. “The human brain fascinates me.”  
   
 Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow. “Do you want to study it?”  
   
 “Yes. Getting to the brain means at least seven years more of school,” she admitted with a lopsided smile, “But I’m going to school for it, or at least to get my bachelors in general sciences, and work to specialise in my masters.”  
   
 Iwaizumi whistled.  
   
 Kiyoko moved some hair out of her eyes. “You, are a None. I don’t know how I can tell, but I can. I have that power. Skirt is an All. None is… maybe it’s another word for a loner, I suppose. A lone wolf. People who stay away from groups or affiliations. That’s where the comparisons of extro and introversion come in, because people assume introverts don’t like groups, but that’s not true. Many introverts love and need human company, just smaller groups or with people they’re more familiar with. As an introvert, myself, I love being in the anime club, even if it’s a large group, since I know almost everyone so well.”  
   
 “Right.”  
   
 “It’s a spectrum. Nobody is a hundred percent one or the other. Mass majority of people are somewhere in the between. That goes for Alls and Nones, as well as introversion and extroversion. Occasionally, you will come across someone that falls on the polar end of the spectrum, like you and Skirt. If I may be… dramatic… with my choice of words… you two, are… You are destined to never see eye to eye with Skirt on anything. Skirt wants to support the entire sector, the world –  _all_  of it. He hopes to not only better this city, but to fix the Blood Ring of Tokyo.”  
   
 Iwaizumi scoffed.  
   
 Of course he knew about the Blood Ring.  
   
 Tokyo, with their Sector leader, had turned into a place where the Light killed other Lights as often as they killed the Dark. Everyone fought for dominance, the body count was incredibly high, and only the most insane would think of living in that city.  
   
 “You on the other hand,” Kiyoko went on, “You seek to support yourself, and no more.”  
   
 “I wouldn’t say no more…”  
   
 Kiyoko smiled, bittersweetly, watching blood red cherry blossoms fall. “No. Not that extreme. But your scope, your duty, is quite small. You take care of yourself, and maybe one or two more. You’ve included Fox in there, haven’t you?”  
   
 Iwaizumi blinked.  
   
 “Your scope of duty is to help those who need it, but you’re not made to change the world. Not everyone has to change the world, after all.”  
   
 “But Skirt wants to.”  
   
 “Yes.”  
   
 “Have you asked him?”  
   
 “No, but I know. I see all. My power is  _All_.” She closed her eyes, letting out a pained sigh.  
   
 “What’s wrong?”  
   
 Kiyoko shook her head. She opened her eyes, at half-mast. “You have your blades, Skirt has a gun and a chainsaw, Fox, Staff, Rod… even Angel… Kozume-senpai, Bokuto, Akaashi-san… but I. I. I have the Power of All. An abstract concept… something I don’t know how to wield, something that nobody can define, understand. I know it’s there, but it’s… not concrete. I can’t wield it like a gun, I can’t swing it like a sword, I can’t use it like a scythe. I’ve tried, for years, to figure out what this power is…”  
   
 “Do you feel like you’ve made progress, at least?”  
   
 “Yes.”  
   
 “Then that’s all you need.” Iwaizumi looked up. “Progress is progress. Progress now, maybe leave behind a journal, some recordings, and if you don’t figure it out someone else will.”  
   
 Kiyoko smiled. “You’re very… optimistic, Iwaizumi-san.” She got up, slowly, and turned to him. “Thank you for the talk.”  
   
 Iwaizumi got up as well. “You’re welcome. Thank you.”  
   
 “I’ve seen Lights fade… so be careful. I would prefer if you shine.”  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled. “That was kind of corny.”  
   
 Kiyoko laughed, actually laughed. “I suppose it is.” She nodded. “But I suppose it’s okay to be so every once in a while, isn’t it?”  
   
 “I’m dating Oikawa, and he’d hit me if I didn’t agree, so…”  
   
 Kiyoko laughed again, louder this time. She moved some hair out of her eyes before she nodded politely.  
   
 Iwaizumi did the same. “See you tomorrow.”  
   
 “You too.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “Aniki!”  
   
 “Otouto!”  
   
 “Oh my god,” muttered Sugawara as he watched Lev and Oikawa crash into each other as they hugged tight. “Are we going to do this every day?”  
   
 Lev gave a big wide smile. “Of course!”  
   
 Oikawa smiled and pulled away. “Sorry Lev, gotta talk to Koushi now. It’s girl talk.”  
   
 “I’m good at a girl talk!”  
   
 Suga just laughed.  
   
 “Tooru, dear?” called Sugawara’s mom as she stepped in the room. “Come here!”  
   
 “Mama!”  
   
 Suga sighed.  
   
 Oikawa hugged her tight, humming as he did.  
   
 Suga’s mom laughed, loud. But she pulled away and put on a serious face. “I heard the news, though, about your mom… she plans on visiting.”  
   
 Oikawa’s smile dropped and he fought to keep it up. “Yeah.”  
   
 “Ugh!” cried Lev as he whipped his long noodle limbs all over the place. “I hate that bitch!”  
   
 Suga gasped. “Lev!”  
   
 “Well,” Suga’s mom didn’t seem to upset at him swearing (and she even looked like she wanted to throw a couple nasty words of her own out there…), “We all do. But, Tooru, listen to me. You can stay here as long as you want when she comes over, okay? Just lie and say you have a group project with Koushi. Don’t even dare think you’re a nuisance to us.” She held a finger up, stern and poised. “Do you hear me?”  
   
 Oikawa smiled again and leaned over to kiss her cheek. “You’re the best.”  
   
 “Good.”  
   
 After talking about their day and whatnot, Suga eventually pulled Oikawa into his room for ‘girl talk’. They bounced on the bed and laid down on it. It was a single bed, and their elbows and knees and thighs were against each other no matter what they did. Oikawa was six feet, and Suga wasn’t particularly short either. They were teenage guys with not enough room, but they didn’t care.  
   
 (#YesHomo.)  
   
 “Sorry,” whispered Suga. “My family is, you know, convinced your mom is Satan.”  
   
 “It’s easier that way,” Oikawa whispered as well, “Easier to deal with than the pity.”  
   
 “Still. I’m sorry.” They didn’t mind the closeness, in fact they revelled in it. They were close, closer than brothers, brothers who made out a little bit, but that wasn’t a bad thing. “What’s up, Tooru?”  
   
 “I just want to know.” Oikawa nudged Suga. “How are things with Daichi?”  
   
 “They’re… okay. Going steady.”  
   
 “Have any exciting dates lately?”  
   
 “Not, really.”  
   
 “Not really?”  
   
 “The first week we started dating, we had like three dates… and I mean, we have lunch together, and we text… but.” Suga frowned. “I don’t know. We just, haven’t had another date. It’s just hard to coordinate because he’s got a lot of practice now that the tournament’s coming up. He’s tired after practice, dealing with first years and stuff. I want to go on another date with him, and he wants to go on another date with me.”  
   
 “Then what’s the problem?”  
   
 “I don’t know.”  
   
 “Just ask him out!”  
   
 “Yeah, I should.” Suga huffed. “I just don’t want to bother him if he’s busy.”  
   
 “Don’t be a shit!”  
   
 Suga laughed. “You’re right.” He nodded and leaned closer to Oikawa, enjoying the familiar warmth, the familiar scent. “How are things with ‘Iwa-chan’?”  
   
 “Good, actually,” Oikawa said with a playful smile.  
   
 Suga raised an eyebrow. “Did you do anything sexy yet?”  
   
 Oikawa grinned.  
   
 Sugawara shook Oikawa twice. “Come on, spill the beans!”  
   
 “Well, we gave each other, oral. I gave head. He went down on me.”  
   
 “Yeah? How was it?”  
   
 “Surprisingly good!”  
   
 Suga raised an eyebrow. “Really? Has he done it before?”  
   
 “Nope.”  
   
 “Really? Do you think he’s lying?”  
   
 Oikawa shook his head. “We haven’t gone further than that. I want to. But it’s kind of weird I guess?”  
   
 Suga tilted his head, which meant pressing it against the pillow since he was sideways. “Why weird?”  
   
 “Well a couple weeks ago, I mean, we talked about it, and talked about condoms, and then I brought up fertiliser and we talked about animal fecal matter.”  
   
 “What.”  
   
 “Flirting went… wrong. Very wrong.”  
   
 “Hm. You could write a book about flirting going wrong.”  
   
 Oikawa laughed, and pulled Suga into a hug, nuzzling his hair. “Probably… but I don’t know. We’re really just, taking our time… I guess. It’s nice.”  
   
 “It’s nice? What do you mean?”  
   
 “I mean, we’re probably going fast compared to other couples, but compared to my other relationships… I’ve never really taken any time? I mean, you and I started fooling around right off the bat. We were very uh… eager, to try it all.”  
   
 Suga smirked. “Yeah, that’s a good way to sum us up.”  
   
 “And almost all guys I’ve been with after that, y’know, once they found out I had an extra hole they either nope’d out of the relationship or they were edging to get in my pants all day to fuck it.”  
   
 “And he’s not?”  
   
 “Well he’s interested, I know that much. I know he wants to, and he wants to  _a lot_ , but he also… wants to go on dates, and he also just wants to kiss, and he wants to snuggle, and also just wants to do… it all. Like everything, sexual and not.”  
   
 “He sounds like a really good guy, Tooru.”  
   
 “Kooooouuushiiii, he is! He’s just so… yeah.”  
   
 “Wow. He’s yeah, is he?”  
   
 “You know what I mean!”  
   
 “I do.” Suga smiled. “I’m glad.”  
   
 “Anyway!” Oikawa sat up, pulling Suga up with him. “You and Daichi need to hang out outside of school too.”  
   
 “I know, but… ugh. Okay okay.”  
   
 “If he’s tired after practicing volleyball then just hang out with him on the weekend. Those exist, you know?”  
   
 “I knooow…” He sighed. “I like him, a lot!”  
   
 “Trust me, I know.”  
   
 “I just get so… worried.”  
   
 “Fake it until you make it!”  
   
 “Huh?”  
   
 “Fake it until you make it!”  
   
 Suga laughed. “Yeah, you’re right.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 A day had passed; and, soon enough, a certain main character and his boyfriend extraordinaire shuffled into the gym. Aoba Johsai’s main gym had a spectator’s area, which was something like a catwalk around the gym. They used the side entrance on the second floor to sneak in. When they got there, Sugawara was with Hinata and Yamaguchi.  
   
 Oikawa stood next to Suga and put his hands on the railing. “Are we late?”  
   
 “Nope.” Suga smiled. “They’re still in the first set.”  
   
 “That’s great! What’s a set?”  
   
 “I don’t know.”  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled. “Matches are made of three sets. Best two out of three wins, or three out of five. You usually need twenty-five points to win.”  
   
 “Oh.” Oikawa nodded. “Okay.”  
   
 Yamaguchi put both hands to his mouth and yelled, “Nice serve Kageyama!”  
   
 Hinata grabbed him. “Shhh. Don’t say his name, he might just pop up here and forget about the game!”  
   
 Iwaizumi blinked. “What?”  
   
 “Hinata,” Suga said as he stifled a laugh. “I think Kageyama’s a bit busy right now.”  
   
 The sound of a heavy spike brought their attention back to the court.  
   
 It was a quick, making its way past the blockers, but Daichi crouched low, making sure his knees were firm, and received it, tossing it upwards.  _“Chance ball!”_  
   
 Oikawa tilted his head. “Why are they speaking English?”  
   
 Kageyama moved in position and tossed the ball.  
   
 Matsukawa—a third year with messy black hair—spiked hard. He had a lazy little mischievous smile on his face when his spike broke through the blockers. Hanamaki, a second year with short red-brown hair, looked to be serious and silent until he ruffled Matsukawa’s hair. The two of them laughed while Kageyama got ready to serve again. Matsukawa even stole a quick cheek kiss, which made Hanamaki smile, but it also made Daichi do his angry cough. “Matsun.”  
   
 The two straightened up and went back to their positions.  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled. “I wanted to join a sports club, was thinking about this one.”  
   
 Oikawa hummed. “And then what happened?”  
   
 Iwaizumi just sighed and spoke in a bored monotone, “Then the prettiest boy in the school got on his knees and _begged_ —”  
   
 “I NEVER BEGGED!”  
   
 Iwaizumi smirked. “You’re right. He  _bribed me with food_ —”  
   
 “You said yes before the food came out.”  
   
 “The prettiest boy in the school  _planned_  on bribing me with food, which Suga-san made…”  
   
 “You know what, Hajime?” Oikawa did his best to stifle his smile and frown instead, though his lips kept wiggling upwards. “We don’t need to tell anyone about that.”  
   
 Yamaguchi yelled, again, “Nice serve Kageyama!”  
   
 Hinata flailed his arms. “Don’t say his name!”  
   
 But while Iwaizumi bickered with Oikawa, and while Yamaguchi cheered with Hinata (sort of), Sugawara stayed silent, eyes focused on the match, focused on Daichi. A smile formed on his lips. He saw the way he was giving little encouragements to others. He held Matsukawa and Hanamaki in their place (troublemakers they were), offered Kageyama compliments even when he didn’t know how to take it, and made sure his libero was good after every dive.  
   
 Suga also eyed the way he moved his body.  
   
 Daichi’s focused eyes, his serious expression, the way he backed up and received spikes and serves; and, yet, flawlessly spiked his own hits when he was in the front row. The adaptability, reliability, the mix of care and determination…  
   
 The match went on, and Aoba Johsai won the first set, but in the second set it seemed the opponent was a lot more focused. The five at the stands cheered them on, calling nice serves and nice kill, nice block, and Oikawa still wondered why they said don’t mind don’t mind and chance ball in English but yeah okay sure. The second set, however, was starting to get iffy. Aoba Johsai was losing.  
   
 “Twenty points to twelve,” whispered Suga. He had both his hands together, squeezing on each other, knuckles white. “We should cheer them on louder, maybe?”  
   
 Oikawa put his hands on the railing right before the captain’s serve. “Daichi! If you win this match Suga will suck your dick!”  
   
 There are times, few and far in between, in emergencies, where every day people achieve superhuman strength. There are many recorded cases where, after seeing someone stuck under a vehicle, a simple average person is flooded with adrenaline and cortisol, stress hormones, which gives them the power to lift the car. The damage to the muscle tissue is felt afterward, but for a single shining moment humans achieve the impossible.  
    
  That was what happened when Sugawara screamed, high-pitched and filled with the terrors of all eight gates of hell, “TOORU!” as he yanked his best friend, pulling him back, then lifting him above his head, and sending him crashing onto the metal walkway.  
   
 Daichi paused, ball in hand.  
   
 The other team stared up at them.  
   
 Both coaches and the substitute players acting as referees stared.  
   
 Swallowing hard, Daichi lowered his head. “Everyone.” His team looked at him, and they looked at him. “We’re not losing now!” He tossed the ball into the air; with a running jump, he hit it with as much force as he possibly could.  
   
 The ball blasted in a violent arc, barely making it over the net.  
   
 The enemy libero moved. “Out!” he said with a smile.  
   
 But the referee blew his whistle, pointing his flag to Aoba Johsai.  
   
 Oikawa shot upwards. “Service ace!”  
   
 Sugawara clapped excitedly. “Nice serve!”  
   
 After the next serve, Oikawa and Sugawara threw their hands in the air. In synchrony, they yelled: “He did it again! And again! And… again… and… again.” They lowered their arms. “And again.”  
   
 “Wow.” Iwaizumi smirked. “Not much ace about him if he’s that motivated by a blowjob…”  
   
 “Iwa-chan did you just pun?”  
   
 Iwaizumi did his best Oikawa impression: “Hehehehehehehe?”  
   
 By the time Daichi lost his streak of serving aces the score had gone to 20-22—he had won his team, single-handedly, ten points. After the seventh or so serve, the repeated jump serves began to cause enough strain to weaken his arm a little bit.  
   
 The enemy setter tossed—and it was a quick spike.  
   
 Watari, the libero, dove and sent the ball back in the air.  
   
 “Chance ball!”  
   
 “No but okay why are they speaking English?”  
   
 Kageyama was about to toss when his hands shifted; he dumped the ball. He sent it it over the net with a flick of his hand.  
   
 The game kept going. Iwaizumi mused it would be a deuce, Oikawa agreed (and then asked what a deuce was). Sugawara more or less tuned them out as he watched. Yamaguchi still cheered, and Hinata cheered for everyone except his best friend.  
   
 “Don’t say his name!”  
   
 “Hinata,” muttered Tsukishima, “Shut up.”  
   
 Hinata yelled and turned around. “Tsuki! How long have you been here?”  
   
 Yamaguchi laughed. “He’s been here the whole time!”  
   
 “Ack!” Hinata backed up and held both hands up. He began punching the air in front of him. “Y-You wanna fight? O-Or g-go out? With me?”  
   
 Tsukishima tuned him out.  
   
 Oikawa hummed quietly to Iwaizumi. “He’s helpless with flirting.” His eyes moved to Sugawara. “At least he’s better.”  
   
 Sugawara said nothing, eyes too focused on the match.  
   
 The final score for the second set was 23-25, meaning Aoba Johsai won the second game, 0-2.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 After shaking hands and sending the other team off, Daichi told everyone to gather with the coach on the other side of the gym. That was when Oikawa took the chance: He shoved Sugawara (full force) at Daichi, causing them to bump into each other. Daichi grabbed Suga before he fell over. “Hey.”  
   
 “Hi. Sorry!” Sugawara’s cheeks burned. He could see the sweat gleaming on Daichi’s body and the way his skin burned with heat. He felt his knees wiggle. “H-Hi.”  
   
 Daichi smiled; adrenaline pumping, he stole a quick kiss. “Thanks for coming.”  
   
 “You’re welcome!” Suga fought back the urge to bite Daichi’s jawline. “I liked watching.”  
   
 “You like watching, huh?”  
   
 Sugawara’s face burned. “Shut up.”  
   
 Daichi laughed. “Sorry. I’ve got to get to our meeting though… Text me?”  
   
 “Okay.” Sugawara tried not to whine when Daichi let go of him. He watched him turn away. “Wait! Um, this weekend!”  
   
 Daichi turned. “This weekend?”  
   
 “Do you want to, do something?”  
   
 “Sure. I’d love to.”  
   
 “Okay.” Sugawara breathed a sigh of relief. “We’ll do something.”  
   
 At another corner of the court, Hinata was with Yamaguchi and Tsukishima. He looked left and right. “Where did he go? I wanted to talk to Kageyama and I swear he was here but—”  
   
 “Hi.”  
   
 Hinata screamed.  
   
 Yamaguchi jittered.  
   
 Kageyama blinked. “You guys came to see us.” Although he had said ‘you guys’ his eyes looked solely on Yamaguchi. “Th-Th… Thankz.”  
   
 Yamaguchi’s cheeks warmed. “It wasn’t a problem. You were amazing, coordinating all those attacks.”  
   
 Kageyama nodded. “It’s my job as a setter.”  
   
 Yamaguchi laughed. Of course his compliment went over Kageyama’s head. “Well, you’re um, very good at being the setter, Kageyama.”  
   
 Kageyama’s eyes widened and his cheeks tinted red. “O-Oh.” His lips wiggled in a strange half-smile. “Th-Thanksyou.”  
   
 Hinata looked between them… He squatted low, looking up at them as he skittered around. Like a crab, shifting left and right as he stared at the sparks between them with intent curiosity. Could it be that the two of them had fee—  
   
 Tsukishima grabbed Hinata’s head and yanked him back. “Leave them alone.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 After that, they went their separate ways. Iwaizumi walked home one way, while Tsukishima walked home another way, and Hinata insisted on coming over; Tsuki got mad at him for inviting himself, but he never actually refused. And when Hinata cupped the inside of Tsuki’s elbow, Tsuki stiffened and his shoulders twitched, but he wasn’t against it. Yamaguchi got on another train, while Sugawara and Oikawa headed home together.  
   
 Suga lay his head on Oikawa’s shoulder, closing his eyes and drifting off.  
   
 It was evening now, the sunset just ending.  
   
 Oikawa listened to the rustic sounds of the train, feeling Suga’s soft skin on his, feeling the warmth of the sunset and admiring the colours of orange, red, and pink that lit up the sky. He closed his eyes and smiled.  _It really feels like,_  he thought to himself,  _It feels like… This is my life. And it’s perfect the way it is._


	16. Hypno

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayyyyy we're back in action! Going to get the updates going. Still going to be aiming for once every five days, we'll see if I can keep it up! Amazing thanks to Nikooki who is still my stand-in beta. Somehow between her hectic life she's got the time to keep helping me out, so big kudos to her. Speaking of kudos~ we hit 250 kudos, 300 comments, and 4.5k hits! Hehehe, thank you! I absolutely love all the support you're all giving me. Updating six times a month is crazy @.@ I do not recommend, but it's also really rewarding with you guys being as vocal with your support, as you are!!
> 
> Please enjoy Chapter 16!
> 
> * * *

 “Calms always come before storms, don’t they, Tooru?”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “O-Oikawa… -senpai.”  
   
 Oikawa was changing his shoes at his shoe locker when he looked up. “Tobio-chan.” He reached out and ruffled Kageyama’s blueberry hair (he had had many arguments with Suga about it, and he didn’t care if his best friend didn’t agree with him: Kageyama Tobio looked like a blueberry and his hair was blueberry hair, it wasn’t up to Oikawa, he didn’t make the rules—that’s just how life was). “What’s up, buttercup?”  
   
 “Don’t call me that.”  
   
 Oikawa winked.  
   
 “Stop that.”  
   
 “Okay okay. What do you want?”  
   
 Kageyama fumbled his hands together and sighed. “Um…” He wiggled his shoulders a little bit. “You are very close to… Sugawara-senpai, right?”  
   
 “Yep!”  
   
 “Yesterday, at the practice match… you said that… he would… perform… oral sex on…” Kageyama’s cheeks heated up and he cleared his throat. “And, so… Sugawara-senpai… is in a relationship… with Daichi-san?”  
   
 Oikawa blinked. He wasn’t used to anyone referring to Daichi with an honourific. “Yup.”  
   
 “Oh… Are they… um. Exclusively… together? Um. Monogamous?”  
   
 “Monogamous?”  
   
 “I mean… um. Are they. Not together with. Other people?”  
   
 “No, no, I know what the word monogamous means, I just can’t figure out why you would be asking something like—Oh! Tobio-chan! I love the way you think.” He put an arm around Kageyama and pulled him in close. “Do you  _like_  Koushi? Is that it?”  
   
 “No!” Kageyama wiggled out of the half-embrace. “I mean. Yes. But not. Like that!  _Dumbass!”_  
   
 “Ohhhhh, I see. So you’ve got your eye on Daichi?”  
   
 “No!”  
   
 “No one’s immune to his daddy-kink appeal, face it. You feel it, huh?”  
   
 “No! I mean. Yes. But. No! I mean yes but no!”  
   
 Oikawa laughed. “I’m pretty sure that’s half the reason Koushi likes him. So if you’re not looking for a three-way, why are you asking me this anyway?”  
   
 “I. Um.” Kageyama huffed angrily. “Never mind!”  
   
 “No no!” Oikawa grabbed him. “Ask.”  
   
 “I just. Sugawara-senpai. Is. Spending a lot of time. Around.” He frowned a little, clenching his toes. “Around…” He looked down. “Yamaguchi-san.” He rubbed his arm aggressively. “I was just. I. Don’t know. Worried, I guess.”  
   
 “Ohhhhhhh.”  
   
 “Shut up!”  
   
 Oikawa smiled and then pretended to zip his lips. “My lips are sealed.”  
   
 Kageyama wasn’t sure how since Oikawa was  _still_  talking.  
   
 “Listen, Tobes, not everyone who spends a lot of time together is utterly in love with each other.”  
   
 “I know that!” Kageyama frowned. “But Sugawara-senpai is… attractive. And I’m.” The unspoken  _not_  didn’t need to be said. He just sighed, angrily.  
   
 “There’s nothing wrong with making sure,” added Oikawa softly. “But Koushi isn’t a ‘threat’ or whatever. Yamaguchi joined the anime club, and Koushi takes good care of his kouhais. That’s all. Just him being a good senpai, okay?”  
   
 Kageyama nodded twice. His face was red, and he was shaking.  
   
 Oikawa recognised that cocktail of emotions too well. Anger at others, jealousy, a touch of sadness, fear of inadequacy, but all countered by those weird tickly butterflies in his tummy. “Yamaguchi talks about you a lot.” He watched Kageyama’s eyes light up. It was such an easy opportunity to tease (the perfect opportunity, actually), but it took guts to do something like this and he respected Kageyama for it. “So don’t sell yourself short, and good luck okay?”  
   
 Kageyama gave another nod and then awkwardly shuffled off.  
   
 Oikawa put his hands on his hips.  
   
 His little Tobio was growing up!  
   
 Oikawa Tooru wanted to tease, but he respected all warriors of love and justice, regardless of race, gender, sexuality, or right-or-left handedness. If someone was ambidextrous, then he  _might_  be a little prejudiced against them, but that was mostly out of jealousy. He was only ambidextrous when he was Skirt, but he constantly forgot that fact and his lack of coordination with his left hand had led to many dropped cups and plates and “I’ll definitely catch it don’t worry!”s.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Later at the anime club, they were watching another episode. Oikawa was leaning on Iwaizumi, and Iwaizumi had an arm around Oikawa. Oikawa smiled. Iwaizumi used to be so shy around others, now he didn’t care so much. Probably because the club was a comfortable place for him now. It was good character development, Oikawa thought. He reached out, rubbing Iwaizumi’s index finger with his thumb. Iwaizumi, focused on the episode, didn’t realise he grabbed Oikawa’s hand instinctively, intertwining their fingers.  
   
 Oikawa smiled.  
   
 Later, he got a message:  
   
  _[Ushijima Wakatoshi, 4:41pm] I figure it’s easier to ask you than to deal with Suga’s train noises (even if you’re an awful human being). But there’s a party happening next week on campus, I know the person who is hosting, they said yes, so I was wondering if you and Suga wanted to come? I haven’t seen you guys in a while._  
   
 Oikawa stared at his phone. His cheeks flooded red. He hated himself for blushing, but how could he not? Ushijima was tall, dark, and handsome. Memories of their passionate nights together, hot mouths on each other… It all made his cheeks flush. He replied, nonetheless.  
   
  _[Oikawa Tooru, 4:44pm] both Suga and I have boyfriends now Waka-chan so were not answering your booooooooooty call_  
   
 It was half a joke, really. He didn’t think Ushijima would just want him at a party for a quick fuck, but he had to make sure, right?  
   
  _[Ushijima Wakatoshi, 4:46pm] That’s fine. Bring them along. I just miss both of you. A little._  
   
 Oikawa smiled.  
   
  _[Oikawa Tooru, 4:47pm] hows universi-tea?  
   
 [Ushijima Wakatoshi, 4:47pm] Kind of like dying. But enjoyable.  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 4:48pm] I cant tell if ur joking or not, which probably makes it funnier  
   
 [Ushijima Wakatoshi, 4:48pm] Joking?_  
   
 Oikawa laughed.  
   
  _[Oikawa Tooru, 4:49pm] othing. Text me the details and I’ll see if the others can come too, kk?  
   
 [Ushijima Wakatoshi, 4:50pm] Alright._  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 In the sunset, Bokuto asked a simple question. “Heads or tails?” He flipped the coin between his fingers.  
   
 Akaashi glanced to him. “Hm?”  
   
 “Heads or tails, Keiji?”  
   
 “Tails.”  
   
 Bokuto flipped the coin, watching it hang in the air. He snatched it and slapped it on his wrist. “Bad luck, man.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Yamaguchi was walking home. The sunset was sinking, and the red sky was turning a dark purple, and eventually a dark blue. He didn’t see the person beside him until,  
   
 “Hey.”  
   
 Yamaguchi jumped.  
   
 Kuroo smirked.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 In the dark of the night, Kenma stood atop a high tower. He could feel little cords in the wind. “Why?” he asked to no one in particular. “Why does it feel like…?” His eyes widened.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Yamaguchi took a deep breath and shut his eyes. “I’m ready.”  
   
 Kuroo nodded once more. “Good.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “Why does it feel like…?” Kenma’s eyes widened.  
   
 A burning bright bolt—a blast from the heavens—thunder crashed down. The lightning forked, splitting off and hitting different buildings, blasting the glass open and starting fires. More lightning sunk down, hitting cars and lampposts, blasting against towers, causing power outages on a grand scale.  
   
 And there was a scream, a horrifying deep scream.  
   
 Black muck pooled together at the centre of a large road and began to form a creature larger than ever before.  
   
 Kenma’s eyes widened.  
   
 The winds whirled around him, making a mess of his hair.  
   
 “Kenma!”  
   
 Kenma didn’t look behind him.  
   
 Akaashi and Bokuto ran towards him. Akaashi summoned his weapon while Bokuto readied his fists. Bokuto huffed. “What’s going on? What’s the game plan?”  
   
 Kenma eyed the monster and the lightning. “We retreat.”  
   
 Akaashi glared. “What?” His expression softened. “Kenma?”  
   
 “This isn’t our battle. Their goal is Skirt… it has to be. As usual, we’ll observe from a distance and assist in any emergency situations.” Kenma closed his eyes, gritting his teeth together. “As we have to.”  
   
 Akaashi looked away, nodding.  
   
 Bokuto sighed, lowering his fists. “Okay.”  
   
 “I have no doubt Kiyoko will be watching this battle as well… to gather information… Let’s do the same.” Kenma eyed the monster. “But stand ready to engage at any time. Understood?”  
   
 Bokuto slapped his hands together. “Yes, Sir!”  
   
 Akaashi put his weapon away. “Understood.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Hinata screamed. “What the hell is that?”  
   
 Tsukishima cocked his head to the side. “A frog?”  
   
 “No.” Akiteru shook his head. “That’s a toad.”  
   
 “Does that even matter?”  
   
 “Kei, details are—”  
   
 The toad opened its mouth and released a purple blast; it raced down the street, aiming right for them, thrashing everything in its path to the side.  
   
 Hinata did a triple backflip, dodging with ease. He glanced to make sure both of the Tsukishima brothers were okay, but—  
   
 “Fox!” Tsukishima raised his hand and a spray of water released upwards. It swirled around Hinata before several blasts of lightning hit him.  
   
 Hinata landed and gasped. “Close one!”  
   
 More thunder raced down from the sky.  
   
 The three of them ran like mad, dodging yellow blasts of lightning and purple beams from the massive toad.  
   
 “So!” Akiteru twirled his rod; his blue robe was similar to Tsuki’s, just a change in colour, and his mask was horizontal as well. He released blasts of ice outwards. “I don’t think I need to say this—but this isn’t normal lightning! Someone’s in control of this, right?”  
   
 Tsukishima twirled and created a water barrier. “Which means we have to find the source.”  
   
 Hinata, glancing up, gasped. “Move!” He ran forward; he grabbed both Akiteru and Kei. He jumped, leaping off the ground just in time to dodge blasts of light. “Angel!”  
   
 Angel just smiled behind his cross-shaped mask, standing mid-air with wings outstretched. He suddenly frowned and twirled, dodging steel.  
   
 Blade had swung with great force, but not enough speed. “Hey asshole!”  
   
 Angel twirled mid-air, bringing his wings close to him; when his wings stretched out, he hung mid-air again. “Hello, annoying fuck.”  
   
 Blade landed on the ground.  
   
 Angel opened his arms and summoned his gates—his gates of light were smaller, which meant they took less time to open, but the beams were thinner too. They fired by the dozen.  
   
 The toad, sitting comfortably at the other side of the long five-lane road, opened its mouth and fired another beam. Its beams were made of rings, like a sonic wave, and it destroyed everything it touched.  
   
 The thunder crashed down.  
   
 The gates of light opened and fired.  
   
 Blade dodged the sonic purple blast, and barely made it in time to avoid a blast of lightning, but the gates speared light through him, making him scream.  
   
 Angel swung his arm mid-air. Hundreds of the little gates began to condense into a massive one. “God, how I want to finally kill you.” He stretched both his arms and both his wings outwards. The gate would open and destroy them all.  
   
  _Gunshots._  
   
 Oikawa’s rifle fired a pure beam of photon, shattering the gate to golden specks of light a second before it opened.  
   
 Hinata looked up. “Skirt!”  
   
 Oikawa’s butterfly wings were stretched wide but narrowed, hugging his body. He descended with great speed and dismissed his gun. Both hands on his chainsaw, it revved up and he swung, crashing it against Angel.  
   
 Angel used his wings to block, screaming as the spinning blade dug into his bones. With another scream, he blasted pure energy outwards.  
   
 Oikawa was thrown back, but he flipped gracefully and landed on the concrete with knees slightly bent.  
   
 Blade launched swords at Angel.  
   
 On the other side, Hinata began racing towards the toad. With his agility, he could dodge the combination of attacks fairly easily, but he slowed down to make sure the other two could keep up.  
   
 Akiteru and Tsukishima took turns blocking the lightning. When they got close, they put staff and rod together, and the mix of water and ice that burst forward hit the toad head on, spearing into its flesh.  
   
 The toad screamed and blasted more beams at them, throwing them back.  
   
 They were being overwhelmed.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
  _“Occasionally, you will come across someone that falls on the polar end of the spectrum, like you and Skirt. If I may be... dramatic... with my choice of words... you two, are... You are destined to never see eye to eye with Skirt on anything. Skirt wants to support the entire sector, the world – all of it. He hopes to not only better this city, but to fix the Blood Ring of Tokyo.”_  
   
 Between rooftops, Iwaizumi jumped, crashing his blade against Angel, and protecting Skirt at the same time.  
   
 “Stop helping me!” whined Skirt.  
   
 With enough force, Iwaizumi threw Angel back. “Go!” he turned his head and yelled at Skirt. “I’ll take care of this dickbag, alright? Your team needs you.”  
   
 Skirt stared at him for a moment before nodding. “Hope you die.”  
   
 “Yeah, same here.”  
   
 Skirt’s wings opened up and he jumped back, throwing himself off the roof.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Oikawa grit his teeth to the point he tasted blood. He ran along the street, dodging lightning as he went. With Blade distracting Angel, it was easy enough to focus simply on the lightning. When he made his way to the others he summoned both weapons. “Okay!” he yelled at them. “Let’s go!”  
   
 “Go?” Hinata turned to him. “Where? Ack!” He dodged a blast of lightning.  
   
 Tsukishima scoffed. “How?”  
   
 “I’m sorry, are you guys a bunch of basic bitches or are you protectors of this Sector?” Oikawa pointed his chainsaw at the toad. “I said, let’s go!” He began charging forward, the others following in line. “We don’t know where the thunder’s coming from, and we’re leaving Angel to Blade, but this guy is ours! Let’s fuck this frog!”  
   
 “Actually it’s a toad and—”  
   
 The toad hopped forward, and its immense size crashed against the ground, sending cracks through the street and breaking the road apart. Chunks of cement and cars went flying in every different direction.  
   
 Hinata gulped. “But Senpai it’s so huge!”  
   
 “Don’t be afraid!” Oikawa began to charge photon in his rifle. “As every gay porno has taught me!” He jumped high into the air. “The bigger they are: The harder they bottom—so make it your bitch!” He fired a massive beam that split into seven rainbow blasts; the swirling lights of every colour fused once more and intensified in the air as it exploded through the sky, creating a perfectly brilliant line until it smashed against the toad.  
   
 The toad screamed and wiggled.  
   
 “Make it my bitch,” Hinata repeated in a whisper. He leapt up, nails burning with fire, as he sent red hot scratches along its side, tearing deep into its flesh.  
   
 Tsukishima smashed his staff on the ground, creating a well of water. He released a flood that swirled through the broken concrete road and wrapped around the toad’s limbs.  
   
 Akiteru spun once, creating seven massive chunks of ice, before another whimsical movement of his rod sent his spells hurling to the toad.  
   
 The battle waged on, thunder still forking from the sky, and Angel and Blade clashing against one another.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Kenma tilted his head as he watched. For now, it would be fine. Oikawa had the advantage, but this kind of setup would wear them down if it wasn’t put to a stop soon. Kenma’s eyes narrowed. The attacks were coordinated, too coordinated. “Where is the thunder coming from?”  
   
 Bokuto hummed. “Guessing not from Angel.”  
   
 Akaashi looked around. “How can you be so sure? If he can coordinate those gates, then—”  
   
 “Nah, look at Angel. He twitches and gets all surprised when one gets close and tries to hit Blade. The thunder is supporting him, not being summoned by him.”  
   
 A new voice asked, “So there’s another foe?”  
   
 Kenma glanced over.  
   
 Kiyoko adjusted her glasses. “They won’t last. Not unless someone stops that thunder.”  
   
 “She’s right.” Akaashi bit his lip. “Send me.”  
   
 “Damn right she’s right.” Bokuto bumped his fists together. “Let me go punch the thunder in the face!”  
   
 Kenma shook his head. “No.”  
   
 Akaashi frowned. “But if we do not do anything—” his voice was cut short. He froze.  
   
 The thin cords in the air began to spin around Kenma. The winds changed around him. “I’ll do this myself. Akaashi, you’re in charge until my return. Kiyoko, please support him.” He didn’t wait for a reply. He ran, jumping off the rooftop. He dove down. He closed his eyes, feeling the thrill of death in the winds. His eyes snapped open. The cords shot out and his body moved, curving in trajectory as he began flying forward.  
   
  _It’s like Spiderman,_  Bokuto had said once.  
   
 Kenma didn’t find that amusing.  
   
 The cords launched and grabbed onto the sides of buildings and wires and roads. He had a faint green glow as he looked around.  
   
 Where would the thunder be coming from? To crash down, on such a broad range, it would need to be able to see the entire battle. Yes, that was possible from many locations, but not realistically. To be able to have such sharp accuracy only one kind of view was needed: A bird’s eye view. It was impossible to get a perfect one, but several towers were higher than the rest, so if Kenma went to the tallest building…  
   
 Wind surged.  
   
 Kenma shot upwards along the walls of the tallest building, eyes focused. His reflection against the glass was nothing but a blur.  
   
 It was the second highest floor, a penthouse, he knew it—it had to be.  
   
 Kenma did a mid-air backflip and smashed through the window, sending shattered glass everywhere. His barrier of wind protected him, even picking up little bits as a secondary shield in case he would be attacked.  
   
 But he wasn’t.  
   
 The second highest floor was dark, no lights were on, through soft moonlight he could see a figure, only shadowy silhouette, but Kenma’s eyes adjusted to the darkness. He saw his enemy.  
   
 And his enemy saw him.  
   
 His enemy was a small figure. Tall. Ish. Taller than him, anyway, but not a heavy build. He was strapped up in leather and spikes, with a cross-shaped mask.  
   
 Kenma’s eyes narrowed. “Who are you?”  
   
 “Now now,” came a third voice, smooth and dark, “Let’s not get hasty.”  
   
 Kenma glanced to the side. His heart stopped beating.  
   
 “Yo.” Kuroo waved his hand. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”  
   
 Kenma’s eyes widened and his irises began to shake. He took a step back, forcing himself to breathe. “K-Ku…”  
   
 “Thanks, Corpse.” Kuroo gave a little ‘tip of the hat’ to Yamaguchi. “You lured out the little guy I wanted to meet up with again.”  
   
 “N-N…” words were stuck in the back of Kenma’s throat. He took another step back. “You…”  
   
 “Don’t get jealous.”  
   
 “Wh-What?” Kenma was amazing, to be frank. At one time, he had sliced a monster the size of Australia to pieces in the matter of seconds. It only took one movement of his hand to do it, too. Fear had never stopped him before, but. Now. He was frozen. Deathly frozen. It was like cold little clammy hands were holding him in place, wrapping around his throat and limbs. “Why would… I… be…”  
   
 “Jealous?” Kuroo motioned to Yamaguchi. “I got myself a new plaything, yeah. But don’t worry. I’ll still make you my little kitten if you want me to.” He opened his hands and black fires began to whirl around him, black with specks of purple lightning inside them. “Shhh. Sleep tight, Kitten.”  
   
 Kenma felt his head fog up, it felt light, and without realising—he fell with a thud, smacking his head on broken glass and white tiles, sinking into unconscious, heavy darkness. 


	17. Toad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again~ First let me apologise for the late replies on comments. I do want to reply to every comment I get, but my younger cousin has come visit and she's... a handful. I am a bit behind schedule of where I want to be in terms of writing/editing for Guns and Roses... if we do fall behind, then I'll just have to catch up/give quicker updates when I have more free time! Speaking of falling behind, from Christmas to New Years I'll be visiting my family on the other side of the country, in Montreal, so either I'll update before or after, idk, we'll see. 
> 
> Second, let me apologise because I vaguely remember outlining this chapter while drunk and tired and tweeting "Should I put in memes from 2001?" and people (who I assumed thought I was kidding) said yes. So this happened. Bonus points to the first person who can spot the meme. 
> 
> Thirdly, enjoy the chapter!!
> 
> * * *

 Yamaguchi swept his arm to the side and volts of electricity skydived from the heavens; pillars of lightning, thrashing at his command. He felt like a king, a god. He had the power of thunder at his fingertips; and, damn, did it feel good. He was so powerful, nothing could stop him. From his vantage point on one of the highest buildings of Yokohama, he could see the entire battle. He struck hard, struck fast, struck with the force of a train wreck at the speed of a snap. He didn’t expect it would all be so easy.  
   
 But he also didn’t expect Kenma to find him so easily.  
   
 Kuroo had stepped in, though, before things got ugly.  
   
 Yamaguchi looked at Kenma, lying on the floor and shattered glass. His skin was three tones closer to sick white than he had come in. Yamaguchi had always thought the phrase ‘looked like he had seen a ghost’ to be silly, but in actuality—it was the best way he could describe it.  
   
 “It was from shock,” murmured Kuroo. His flames disappeared. “He’s an old friend of mine. I didn’t expect him to get beaten so… soon, though… Anyway. We’re retreating.”  
   
 “But.” Yamaguchi turned back to the battle. “Angel—”  
   
 “—It’s fine. He’ll retreat when the lightning stops. Let’s move out.”  
   
 “Understood.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Oikawa had his back to the monster when he back-flipped high into the air. When his body was upside-down, facing the toad now, he aimed his gun and fired another heavy beam of photon—colours and lights swirled and fused, crashing against the thing. Oikawa landed with grace. He twisted his body, in a spin, gathering photon in his rifle, before he again aimed his gun and fired. His rifle cocked up from the recoil force.  
   
 Akiteru swung his rod, sending chunks of ice flying.  
   
 The toad opened its mouth and let out another sonic wave.  
   
 The two of them narrowly dodged, jumping to either side as the purple beam carved a semicircle down the road.  
   
 Hinata, who had dropped to all fours for speed and agility, raced towards the toad. Although they were landing hits, it wasn’t enough. He needed to get close. If he could just get one hit… He jumped into the air, fingernails glowing, ready to strike it in the face.  
   
 The toad opened its mouth and let out another sonic wave.  
   
 Tsukishima’s eyes widened. “Fox!”  
   
 Hinata went flying.  
   
 Tsukishima raised his staff—healing water launched up in the shapes of hands, grabbing Hinata mid-air.  
   
 Oikawa kept firing. “This isn’t good!”  
   
 Akiteru moved his rod upwards, and pillars of ice shot up from the ground. “Fall!” He swung his rod down, and the pillars crashed onto the toad.  
   
 The toad opened its mouth and let out another sonic wave.  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes widened. His wings shot out and blurred. He held his hand out and created a shield. Beside him, though, he saw Akiteru go flying, and through the sonic blast he heard both Tsukishima and Hinata scream. He held on for dear life, fingertips burning as the world around him seemed to explode. He scrunched his eyes closed and kept his shield. When the attack was over, he fell to his knees and coughed. “We have to make it fall, now!”  
   
 Akiteru, who lay limp on the ground, forced himself up. His arms and knees were shaking. “We’re trying…”  
   
 “Fox? Fox?” Tsukishima looked around. “Hinata?”  
   
 “Here!” Hinata had blood running down his entire side, and he was on his knees. When Tsukishima closed his eyes, a burst of healing water appeared underneath Hinata. He stood again, feeling rejuvenated, but still tired. “I hate this stupid thing!” Hinata scrambled his hair and then started punching the air in front of him. “Stupid!” He flailed his arms everywhere. “Thing!” His claws burned bright red and he swiped at the air—from a streak of claw marks, five blasts of fire shot past his teammates and hit the toad.  
   
 The toad whined.  
   
 Hinata paused, looking at his hand. “Oh cool, I have a ranged attack?”  
   
 Tsukishima screamed, “Fox!”  
   
 Hinata looked up.  
   
 The toad opened its mouth and let out another sonic wave.  
   
 Hinata jumped high, high above it. He was higher than buildings, now. He saw just how much damage littered the streets… the overturned cars, the broken road, the shattered lampposts…  
   
 Their city wouldn’t last.  
   
 Hinata landed and his fingers burned. He leapt forward, swiped, leapt back, swiped, and then did a full wingspan swipe. From the claw marks that hung midair, thirty fire bolts blasted out, curving in the air before hitting the toad.  
   
 Ice pillars raced down from the sky.  
   
 Hinata ran forward. He leapt past the monster and then jumped onto its shoulder. He clawed deep into its flesh. “Fire and ice!”  
   
 “And water,” muttered Tsuki (a little annoyed that Hinata left him out) as he blasted purifying healing waters at the Dark. “Banish!”  
   
 “Oy oy,” said Oikawa with a smile. “You guys aren’t half bad… now’s my chance!” He leapt closer and fired several shots, aiming at different spots to find a weak spot.  
   
 The toad screamed, loud.  
   
 “Shut up!” Hinata pressed his fingers together to concentrate his swipe. With one deep gash, he clawed its face.  
   
 Foam sizzling at the corners, the toad’s jaw widened like a monstrosity as it boomed out another sonic wave.  
   
 Oikawa didn’t have time to see where anyone was. He summoned his shield, again; but, it shattered on impact, and he was thrown back with such force that he was flying, helpless, through the air. “Shit!” he screamed. His wings, shattered, were useless as he flew in the storm of glass and metal and gravel through the air. He closed his eyes, hiccupping a sob.  
   
 “Got you!”  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes snapped open.  
   
 Blade was – once again – holding him bridal style.  
   
 “Okay that’s seriously enough!” Oikawa gasped. “Put me down!”  
   
 “Oh I want to!”  
   
 “Then do it!”  
   
 “When you’re safe!”  
   
 “Shut up! You just want to get close to me!” He grabbed Blade’s neck then yanked it himself away. “Leave!” With some maneuvering, he ended up with his foot on Blade’s chest. “Some!” He kicked off. “Room for Jesus!”  
   
 Blade went flying downwards, crashing against the road.  
   
 Oikawa did another graceful backflip and landed flawlessly. He dusted off some dirt and then hummed. “Okay.” He looked back to the screaming toad. It was sluggish now, slowing down (but they still had a long – long way to go).  
   
 “That’s my thanks!?”  
   
 “Look, Blade-chan.” Oikawa scoffed. He crossed his arms. “Don’t touch me, peasant. Even if I’m cute. I’ve got a boyfriend and he’s a huuundred times better than you are.”  
   
 “So do I.” Blade grit his teeth. “And at least he doesn’t run around in a skirt and broken butterfly wings like some second-rate fairy princess!”  
   
 “Well! He sounds like a boring fucking boyfriend!”  
   
 “Um!” Hinata yelled, “Guys!”  
   
 Oikawa growled at the frog and used two hands to fire from his rifle.  
   
 The onslaught began again.  
   
 Akiteru with ice, Tsukishima with water, Blade with blades, Oikawa with his rifle, while Hinata mixed his new projectile spell (which he was still getting the hang of) and his physical attacks.  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes narrowed. He knew the projectiles were just slowing it down. The only one really doing any damage was Hinata. And Blade. Which meant physical attacks were his weakness. It was easier to tell, now that Blade’s obsidian swords were causing it to whimper and slow down. Oikawa dismissed his rifle and yanked his chainsaw off is back. He revved it up and charged. “You’re gonna get torn to shit!”  
   
 The toad yelled another roar.  
   
 Oikawa roared right back at it while he ran straight at the thing. He jumped high and landed on its body. He forced the spinning blade inside its hard, crusty flesh and began running around its core. When he sliced a perfect circle, he twisted around its body twice more before leaping up into the sky.  
   
 On the toad’s body was a heavy circle of bleeding black fluid, bubbling, as if holding something back.  
   
 Oikawa landed, back to the monster as it exploded. “Slash slash, motherfucker.”  
   
 Blade huffed.  
   
 Akiteru let out a long noise of relief.  
   
 Hinata did as well.  
   
 Oikawa turned off his chainsaw. “Any wounded?”  
   
 “Ts—I mean, um.” Hinata shifted awkwardly. “I got banged up before, but Staff healed me up good!”  
   
 “I’m good,” Akiteru said. “Dead beat, but good.”  
   
 Blade nodded. “Same here.”  
   
 Oikawa glared. “I didn’t ask you.”  
   
 Blade glared right back at him—his mask did little to hide the anger in his stance. “Well, Staff can heal me up if he wants to. Right, Staff?”  
   
 The moon hung high in the night as a cold breeze passed.  
   
 Tsukishima looked straight up, skin covered in goosebumps. “Hm.” A purple haze seemed to hover mystically around him. He looked over his shoulder at them. “The toad’s not…” His body wavered, as if he was going to fall over, but he righted himself back up. “It’s not… gone.”  
   
 “Eh?” Oikawa tilted his head.  
   
 “Mm.” Tsuki’s body wavered again. “I can’t… It’s… inside, me… I…” He dropped his staff, and the weapon made a loud clatter as the rings hit the floor. He put his hands on his head, fingers weaving into short blond strands. “I…” He gasped. “Get out! Get out! Get out! Get the fuck out!” He began shaking, convulsing. “I told you get the fuck—” His voice changed, dropping to a low mechanical monotone: “ _All hail the Hypnotoad._ ”  
   
 Akiteru cocked his head. “Huh?”  
   
 Tsuki’s staff shot up from the ground, and he caught it with ease. In the same swipe he used to catch it, he released a blast of water right at his brother.  
   
 Akiteru screamed as he was thrown aside.  
   
 The rest scattered, dodging other blasts of water.  
   
 “Staff!” yelled Hinata. “Staff!”  
   
 “Rod?” asked Oikawa.  
   
 Akiteru got up, quickly. “I’m good! I’m fine. I just got hit, in the face, but I’m okay. I’m good.” His head suddenly shifted, voice lowering to a mechanical monotone: “ _All hail the Hypnotoad._ ”  
   
 Blade’s eyes widened. “Oh fuck.”  
   
 Tsukishima swiped his weapon again. “ _All hail the Hypnotoad._ ”  
   
 Akiteru did the same. “ _All hail the Hypnotoad._ ”  
   
 Water and ice blasted out in all directions.  
   
 Oikawa used his chainsaw, slashing through ice, and his rifle, firing to dispel the water, but he was careful that none of his attacks hurt them. “Guys!”  
   
 Blade created a wall of blades, a barrier, holding both hands out to protect himself. “Fuck. We need to—”  
   
 Hinata screamed as a chunk of ice hit him.  
   
 Akiteru and Tsukishima paused.  
   
 Oikawa gasped. “Fox.”  
   
 “Fox!” Blade bit his lip. “No…”  
   
 “Oh shit.” Hinata looked around. “Does this mean I’m infected? Oh! Oh! I wanna say it!” He began punching the air in front of him. “All hail the hypno— _All hail the Hypnotoad._ ”  
   
 Tsukishima swiped his weapon again. “ _All hail the Hypnotoad._ ”  
   
 Akiteru did the same. “ _All hail the Hypnotoad._ ”  
   
 Hinata swiped his claws. “ _All hail the Hypnotoad._ ”  
   
 Oikawa dodged three different attacks. “Stop saying that!”  
   
 Blade’s eyes narrowed. He had to move quickly to dodge the chunks of ice, bolts of fire, and the water that seemed to rip out of the ground any time he let his guard down. Between the maneuvering, he suddenly backed up and felt something.  
   
 Oikawa gasped, back to back with Blade. “Don’t touch me!”  
   
 “Well, we’re kind of surrounded.” He glanced between Staff and Fox, knowing Akiteru was in front of Skirt. “Got any ideas?”  
   
 “Hm. Use yourself as bait. I’ll deal with it myself.”  
   
 “Put your superiority complex away for ten seconds, we need a plan—and fast.”  
   
 “Think, think, think…”  
   
 The three surrounding them began to step closer.  
   
 The three crouched low—and leapt forward.  
   
 Blade had both his weapons in hand. Behind his mask, Iwaizumi’s eyes widened. He knew Staff was Tsukishima—though the kid was annoying, he was the one who took care of the group, the one who made Hinata smile, the one who – and Fox, Fox, he barely knew Fox, but Fox also stood up for him, against Skirt, and Kiyoko had said—  
   
 Oikawa stared at Akiteru, who was going for the kill. He could have easily fired his rifle, ending the man’s life, saving himself. But… Akiteru… Akiteru, the one who took him in when he was lying cold dead on the floor, the one who tended to his wounds, the one who… Oikawa closed his eyes. “Shit.”  
   
 Blade nodded. “Sorry.”  
   
 Oikawa shook his head. “Nah.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Where there is the Dark, there is the Light. A common thing all soldiers know. As they sunk into terror and accepted death, their lives turned bleak and everything was black—save for a purple line of fire that ripped through, brightening the world for that single, shining moment.  
   
 It was with a crash that they opened their eyes.  
   
 Oikawa stared. Akiteru was lying on the floor in front of him.  
   
 “It’s not like you,” muttered a monotone voice, “To give up, Skirt.”  
   
 Oikawa glanced to the side.  
   
 Akaashi stood, scythe in hand. “They’re fine. My weapon, Kronos, negates magic. That includes possessions. They’ll need rest, immediately, but they were unharmed by my attack.”  
   
 “Oh.” Oikawa fell to his knees, his skirt a perfect ring around him. “Good.” He looked down, taking in a large gulp of cold air and letting out a sigh of relief.  
   
 Blade cocked his head. “You don’t exactly sound happy.”  
   
 Akaashi looked at him. “No.” He cocked his head to the side as well. “I’m not.” He then nudged his head, motioning over.  
   
 Oikawa and Blade followed the movement.  
   
 Bokuto stood several paces away, with an unconscious person in his arms.  
   
 Oikawa shot to his feet. “Kenma!” He ran over.  
   
 Blade tilted his head. “You know him?”  
   
 Oikawa examined him, noting Kenma didn’t seem harmed, but. “What happened?”  
   
 Bokuto hummed. “No idea,” he said in an odd seriousness. “He went off, on his own, to find the source of the thunder. When it stopped we figured it was good, but then he didn’t come back… Found him unconscious.”  
   
 Blade grit his teeth. “Who are you?”  
   
 He heard footsteps.  
   
 There was a certain click of heels.  
   
 Blade turned.  
   
 Kiyoko Shimizu wore no mask (and Blade realised, then, that neither Akaashi, Bokuto, nor Kenma did either). “Although different branches, we work with the Sectin. We do not interfere on matters pertaining to the Light or Dark, with the exception of when emergency situations dictate us to do so.” She crossed her arms. “I believe… this was a trap. We were so focused on the Lights, on Skirt, it never occurred to me that Angel’s goal could have been Sectin. Since Akaashi and Bokuto are both Lights who are darkness-elemental, that would naturally make them weak to elements, such as thunder.”  
   
 Akaashi nodded. “Which means it was natural to assume Kenma would go himself.”  
   
 “Yes.” Kiyoko bit her lip. “Skirt, can you take Fox home?”  
   
 Oikawa nodded. “Yeah.”  
   
 “Good. Then Blade and I will take Staff and Rod to the temple.”  
   
 Blade nodded.  
   
 “No way!” yelled Oikawa. “They’re my teammates.”  
   
 “I will be with him,” added Kiyoko, “Though you don’t have a reason to worry.”  
   
 Akaashi hummed. “Bokuto hardly needs my help to take Kenma home. I will go with them as well, if you wish.”  
   
 “Good.” Skirt glared daggers behind his mask. “Don’t try anything.” He yanked his chainsaw and pushed the still tip to Blade’s neck. “You hear me?”  
   
 “Why even would I?”  
   
 “Listen, you shit. I want you  _gone_ , do you understand me?”  
   
 “To be completely honest: No, not really.”  
   
 “Look. Monsters in great sizes, Angel, and now we have thunder. In a short time this place exploded. What’s more is Kenma Kozume – the irregular department’s top man – is here with not one, but two subordinates. There are way too many variables. I don’t have a reason to trust you!”  
   
 “Besides the fact that I saved your life multiple times now?”  
   
 “Shut your trap!”  
   
 “You don’t have a reason not to trust me, either.” Slowly, Blade pushed the chainsaw away. “Think about it. I’ve fought by your side on several occasions. If I wanted to kill you, I could have, and you know it.”  
   
 Oikawa pulled his chainsaw back—then swung it in a wide arc.  
   
 Blade dodged.  
   
 “Skirt!” yelled Kiyoko.  
   
 “Get out!” screamed Oikawa. “Get  _out_  of my Sector!”  
   
 Blade, hands forming fists, shouted back: “You would be dead without me!”  
   
 “Perhaps,” Akaashi’s smooth voice washed over them, “This is a discussion for another time. Though they are unconscious, it’s critical that they get rest immediately. Kozume-senpai included.”  
   
 Oikawa’s whole body shifted, twitched, and he dismissed his weapons. He walked over to Hinata and put Hinata’s arm around his neck. Slowly, he lifted him up. “Come on, buddy.”  
   
 Hinata mumbled a, “S-Senpai?”  
   
 Oikawa kissed his cheek. “Yeah it’s me. You did great today.”  
   
 “Hmmm….”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Tsukishima and Akiteru were put to bed. They both woke up, but Akiteru quickly went back to bed, while Tsuki drank a glass of water before slipping to sleep. They were in pain, but it wasn’t too bad. Or so they said.  
   
 Afterwards, Iwaizumi was in the courtyard with Kiyoko and Akaashi. He was told he could remove his mask and he glanced to Akaashi, who informed him he already knew his identity. Iwaizumi did so and felt the cold night air on his face. It felt, refreshing, to be honest. “Skirt’s got a few screws loose.”  
   
 “He does,” muttered Akaashi.  
   
 “Please…” Kiyoko bowed, deep and low. “Please understand… he is, just, very protective of the ones he cares about.” She raised her head, hands tight against one another. “He is just, scared.”  
   
 Iwaizumi turned away. “He just wants someone to blame, is all.”  
   
 “Yes, but…” Akaashi looked up to the stars. “Don’t we all?”  
   
 Iwaizumi, having no reply, settled for a soft, “Maybe.”  
   
 Kiyoko adjusted her glasses and moved some hair out of her eyes. “Goodnight, Iwaizumi-san.”  
   
 “Goodnight.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 When Akaashi returned to the penthouse unit they were renting, he sighed. The lights were all off, and his lover was sitting by himself in the dark on the couch. Akaashi walked over, sitting next to him. “How is he?”  
   
 Bokuto hmmed. “He woke up for a while. Said he remembers nothing.”  
   
 “Nothing?”  
   
 “Nadda. He remembers going for a tower, but then nothing… He might remember after some sleep, maybe?”  
   
 “Unlikely…”  
   
 “I thought so too, but figured it’s better than drilling him. He was exhausted.”  
   
 “Hm.” Akaashi leaned on him. “You know, Koutarou, you scare me when you’re serious.”  
   
 “Hmmm.” Bokuto took a deep breath. “I’m serious when I’m scared, so.”  
   
 Akaashi forced a smile. He grabbed Bokuto’s hand, intertwining their fingers. “We’ll get through this.” He rested his head on Bokuto’s shoulders. “Do you think we’re their target?”  
   
 “I don’t know. But, one thing’s for sure, we’re going to get a lot more involved from here on out.” His eyes narrowed. “Why here? Why Skirt, then…?” He leaned over, kissing the top of Akaashi’s head. “Get some sleep, Keiji.”  
   
 “Yes…” He pulled away and got up. “Don’t stay up too late. Join me eventually.”  
   
 “I will.” Bokuto looked out the window. “I just need to think by myself for a bit.”  
   
 “Hmm, you can think?”  
   
 Bokuto snorted. “Of all nights to give me your sass…”  
   
 Akaashi looked over his shoulder, gracing Bokuto with one of his rare smiles. Bokuto smiled as well. And Akaashi realised, as long as Bokuto could smile, he would too. Even if the future was looking far too grim for their liking.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Iwaizumi stayed home the next day—and it was a Sunday after that. He got a couple messages from Oikawa, and he mostly pretended to be sick and said they’d talk later. He was careful with his wording, since Oikawa was the type to take things personally, because although he was confident he wasn’t secure, so Iwaizumi made sure to end all of his messages with an I love you, or a heart, or something to let Oikawa know it wasn’t him, just the rest of the world.  
   
 When those two day passed, he felt a bit better. He had spent them mostly alone, cooking and cleaning, doing homework and going for walks. He needed time for himself, after all, and he figured there wasn’t anything wrong with having a “me” day. Or two.  
   
 But Monday came.  
   
 So he went to school.  
   
 When he entered his classroom, he saw Sugawara, Daichi, and Oikawa all talking amongst themselves. He walked over, putting his bag on his seat. “Morning.”  
   
 Oikawa turned, full smile on his lips. “Hi Tiger.”  
   
 “What.”  
   
 “Iwa-bear.”  
   
 “Die.”  
   
 Oikawa burst out laughing, gathering attention from a couple students, but they eventually looked away. “Good timing, Iwa-chan. Waka-chan invited us to a party, wanna go?”  
   
 “Party?” Iwaizumi looked at him. “Sure. When?”  
   
 “This weekend.”  
   
 “What kind of party?”  
   
 “Ummm.” He pushed Iwaizumi’s bag onto his chair and sat on his desk. “A house party. University students are hosting it, so you know. Um. Alkeehall.”  
   
 “What.”  
   
 “Alcohol.” Oikawa bit his lip. “I hoped if I said it extra cute you’d say yes.”  
   
 “Oh. Okay. Sure.” Iwaizumi shrugged. “Good.”  
   
 “Good?” Oikawa cocked his head. “And here I thought Mr. Morals was going to have a field day lecturing me… Didn’t think you’d be the drinking type. And you’re even underaged, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “It’s not really my thing,” he said in a long sigh. “But I’ve had a rough time lately… um, because of, the. Family.” He looked away. It was a good excuse. “So I could blow off some steam.”  
   
 “Yeah… I know what you mean.” Oikawa laughed. “Family.” He bit his lip.  
   
 Iwaizumi put his bag on the floor and then sat on his chair.  
   
 Oikawa let himself fall right into Iwaizumi’s lap.  
   
 “That’s indecent.”  
   
 “Sue me.”  
   
 “I’d rather just kiss you.”  
   
 “In class? Scandalous.”  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled, putting both arms around him. “Holy fuck I missed you,” he whispered. “Being with you… it just. Makes the world better.”  
   
 Oikawa’s cheeks burned, and he looked away. “Well I’m not going anywhere, okay?”  
   
 “Good.”


	18. Seconds

 “He’s my ex-boyfriend.”  
   
 “What?”  
   
 “The guy inviting us to the party.”  
   
 The two of them were walking home together. School had ended for the day and there was no anime club meeting. Iwaizumi needed to study math stuff, so he tried to get Oikawa to study with him in the library—but, since Iwaizumi’s house was so close, they decided that dinner in exchange for homework help was a mutually beneficial agreement.  
   
 “He’s my ex-boyfriend,” Oikawa repeated. “The guy that invited us to his party thing.”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s eyes narrowed. He continued walking, examining Oikawa’s face. It was a face he couldn’t quite read. He thought he was pretty good at reading his boyfriend now, but maybe not. “And we are all going to this party, why then exactly?”  
   
 “Well.” Oikawa huffed, running a hand through his hair. “We’re still good friends. Koushi, he, and I used to be really close… Koushi says I shouldn’t bother, but I kind of felt like telling you? I don’t know. It’s not so much that you ‘deserve to know’, but I guess I just don’t want any surprises.”  
   
 Iwaizumi eyed him for another moment before flicking his gaze to the streetlights. They stopped. When it was time for pedestrians to cross, they walked. “But you guys are over. Right?”  
   
 “Um. Yeah.”  
   
 “You sound really sure about that answer, Tooru.”  
   
 Oikawa laughed, lightly. He looked up to the clouds. “It’s not like that, Hajime.”  
   
 Iwaizumi stole another glance.  
   
 Oikawa smiled, meeting Iwaizumi’s eyes with his own. “I still like him, actually… I’m not gonna lie to you, I still feel that warm little thud in my heart when I see him…”  
   
 Iwaizumi frowned.  
   
 “I’m telling you this because I trust you, and I feel like maybe you should know.” Oikawa shrugged, smile slowly dropping, replaced with a sad and tight expression. “But there’s a zero percent chance he and I are ever getting back together anytime soon. Honestly, Hajime, even if I was single—which, thankfully, I’m not because I have the best boyfriend in the world—I still wouldn’t date him.”  
   
 Iwaizumi didn’t know how to feel or act, so he stared. “But you still feel that… feeling.”  
   
 “Yeah, but…” Oikawa smiled again, a real smile, one that could kill a man from how gorgeous it was. “He’s got nothing on you.”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s heart leapt up to his throat.  
   
 Oikawa reached down and grabbed Iwaizumi’s hand, letting their fingers naturally intertwine. “Being with me, it just makes the world better. That’s what you said this morning, huh?”  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled, shyly, then leaned over for a quick kiss to Oikawa’s cheek. When he saw Oikawa smile, he knew it was worth it. He looked away, trying to keep up his calm and collected impression (it wasn’t working). “So why did you…. Why tell me, if it doesn’t mean anything?”  
   
 “Hmmm. I’m not sure. Koushi asked me the same thing. I don’t know, really. I think I’m just, bad with exes.”  
   
 “Yeah?”  
   
 “I keep staring at them, and I imagine all these happy perfect scenarios… I think of what  _could_  be or what  _could have been_ … even if it’s not what  _would_  be or  _would have been_. Or what is.”  
   
 They got to Iwaizumi’s front door and their hands broke away so Iwaizumi could fumble with the keys. After unlocking the door and taking off their shoes, they put their bags down and naturally drifted to the kitchen. Oikawa took a seat at the table while Iwaizumi grabbed a few cups. “Want something to drink?”  
   
 “Water?”  
   
 Iwaizumi poured two glasses then offered one. “Hungry?”  
   
 “I could snack.” He took the glass and took a sip. “I can always snack.”  
   
 Soon enough, Iwaizumi put bowls of chips and other things on the table.  
   
 Oikawa munched on them all. “You know, he’s a bit like Kou-chan. In a way.”  
   
 “Huh?” Iwaizumi looked at him. “Oh. Your ex? Waka… What was his name?”  
   
 “Ushijima Wakatoshi, or put ‘em together and make Ushiwaka. Waka-chan works too, and if you want to bug him then call him Ushiwaka-chan.”  
   
 “I’ll stick to Ushijima.”  
   
 “Ushijima-chan.”  
   
 “Ushijima-san, I think.”  
   
 “Fine. But. Anyway, what was I saying?”  
   
 “He was a bit like Suga-san.”  
   
 “Oh yeah! He’s like Koushi, sort of… Since… I don’t know, I guess like. In another universe, he and I would totally be a perfect couple. Just not in this one?”  
   
 “In…” Iwaizumi took a seat slowly. “Another universe?”  
   
 “Like an alternate universe. We’d be perfect boyfriends.”  
   
 “What.”  
   
 “What? You’ve never thought about it?” Oikawa grinned as he shoved four more chips in his mouth then munched on them loudly before swallowing. “I do it all the time, like  _all_  the time—like Koushi and I would be _perfect_  samurai boyfriends.”  
   
 “What the fuck are you even…”  
   
 “Hajime!” Oikawa smacked the table twice, trying to stifle his chuckles. “This is serious.” He moved the bowl of chips out of the way so he could reach across the table and grab his boyfriend’s wrists. “Okay okay, who would you date from our school in another universe?”  
   
 Iwaizumi stared at his boyfriend, tilting his head. “Um.” He thought about it and sighed. “Don’t laugh.”  
   
 “Oh come on, just spill the goods.”  
   
 “Um…” Iwaizumi looked away. “Hinata.”  
   
 Oikawa’s smile dropped. “What?” He reeled his head back. “You? And Hinata?” He shook his head. “No way, I can’t see it. Nuh uh. Nope.”  
   
 Iwaizumi frowned, scratching the back of his neck as he looked off to the side. “I just… like his energy, I guess.” A one-shoulder shrug. “I admire him, he’s… he’s pretty cute. He puts a hundred and ten percent into everything he does, you know? Even if it’s just helping out with cookies or making drinks, or cleaning up. He’s pretty useless, yeah, but he puts his all into things.” He sighed and looked at Oikawa. “That’s the kind of person I want to be too, I guess, so… Well, minus the energy.”  
   
 Oikawa nodded. “I see it now.” He nodded again. “I’d fuck him too.”  
   
 Iwaizumi frowned. “That’s not what I said.”  
   
 “Oh but you know that energy has –  _got_  – to be amazing in bed!”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s cheeks flushed as he looked down again. “Well, yeah…”  
   
 Oikawa laughed. “I think  _I’d_  make a cute couple with Hinata. What do you think?”  
   
 “Um…” Iwaizumi wiggled. “Probably?”  
   
 “Yeah?” Oikawa tapped Iwaizumi’s shins with his feet. “Tell me why.”  
   
 “Well, he… looks up to you, a lot, I guess. So you’d be like… oh God.” Iwaizumi put a hand over his face. “This is weird to talk about.”  
   
 “Come on. This is fuuuun, so don’t stop now.”  
   
 “You’d be like…” Iwaizumi sighed. He put his hands on the table and his face was bright red. “You’d be like the… senpai that would teach him how to, you know, make out and stuff…”  
   
 Oikawa grinned wickedly. “Iwa-chan has imagination, huh? Who else would you date?”  
   
 “It’s your turn.”  
   
 “Fine, fine, okay.” He looked up to the ceiling and in one breath: “Hmmm let me think about it Yamaguchi.”  
   
 “What?” Iwaizumi blinked. “The new second year?”  
   
 “Yeah! I don’t know, he’s just so… he looks just like a kicked puppy, oh my God.” Oikawa rested his chin on his hands, dreamily looking up. “Imagine me being his super cool older boyfriend that comes in and sweeps him off his feet and wipes away his tears, and I relate so well to him because,” he spoke as he put both hands to his heart, “We’re both secretly so alone…” He did his best to pucker his lips, extra cute.  
   
 “Hm.” Iwaizumi’s eyes narrowed. “You spend too much time thinking about this.”  
   
 “Your tur—”  
   
 “–Suga.”  
   
 “Wow.” Oikawa backed away, tilting his head. “That was fast.”  
   
 Iwaizumi cleared his throat.  
   
 Oikawa grinned, leaning in again. “Yeah?”  
   
 “Yeah… he and I…” Iwaizumi shrugged. “We get along. It would be nice.”  
   
 “Really, huh? So, what kind of relationship would Iwa-chan and Kou-chan have?”  
   
 “Um…” Iwaizumi looked at his untouched glass of water and subconsciously began running a finger around the rim. “I feel like, he and I, we’d come home after a long day, and maybe just enjoy a cup of tea, talk about our day, you know… that stuff.”  
   
 “Pffftt.” Oikawa tried to contain his giggles before they burst into a loud guffaw. “Yeah nah, you’re not getting any of that calm shit after your day with me—it isn’t happening in this universe.” He laughed as he grabbed more chips, shoving them in his mouth and munching loudly. “Iwa-chan and Kou-chan!”  
   
 “Don’t talk with your mouth full.” Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. “You’re gross.”  
   
 “I’m not gross!”  
   
 “You are!”  
   
 “If I was so gross, why are you with me?”  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled. “Ever heard of regression towards the mean?”  
   
 “No?”  
   
 “Basically it’s the idea that when something is so extreme, it’s more likely to become less extreme since it can’t be more extreme.” Iwaizumi leaned forward. “Since you’re so gross, you can’t become even more gross, so you’ll naturally become less gross.”  
   
 “Says the mouth that ate – my – pussy!”  
   
 “Just shut up, Tooru. You’re so weird.”  
   
 “Surprise!”  
   
 The edges of Iwaizumi’s lips tugged up in a smile. He leaned forward. “Shut up and kiss me.”  
   
 Oikawa wiped his lips with his sleeve before leaning forward for a quick, chaste kiss. “Mmm, shrimp chips flavoured.”  
   
 Iwaizumi sighed. “Why did I even invite you over?”  
   
 “Because you love me!”  
   
 “Yeah? I take it back.”  
   
 “Iwa-chan!”  
   
 Iwaizumi got out of his seat and walked around the table. He leaned down and stole a kiss, longer this time – much longer. “I’m glad,” he murmured against Oikawa’s lips, “That there’s no calm in our universe.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
  _[Sugawara Koushi, 4:01pm] *train noises*  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 4:02pm] i’M gettingsfnes eaten out rit nwow I don’t wannadam deal with your trayn noisdwdauifhaiSJAIOJFOIJGOS  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 4:03pm] Did you just cum?  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 4:17pm] Maybe  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 4:18pm] That reply took fourteen minutes.  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 4:18pm] Sucking dick takes time  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 4:19pm] LOL.  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 4:20pm] so wink wink what up trainboy?  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 4:20pm] *angry train noises*  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 4:20pm] It’s a purfect nickname  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 4:20pm] *ANGRY TRAIN NOISES*  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 4:21pm] ok ok what up tho?  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 4:23pm] I… totally forgot. Now I just reallyw ant to suck Daichi’s dick.  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 4:24pm] Wow blunt af  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 4:26pm] If I can’t be blunt with you then who can I be blunt with?  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 4:27pm] Well he did win the practice game (remember u said you’d give him the suck-suck-chan)  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 4:27pm] omg, can I really use that??  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 4:28pm] do it. You said you would!  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 4:28pm] And then I threw you on the floor.  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 4:28pm] But you never denied it…_  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 They were lying on Iwaizumi’s bed. The sun had gone down, darkening the room, and neither of them had gotten up to turn the lights on. After a yummy meal, they agreed that they had done enough homework for one lifetime. Oikawa was lying down, diagonal to take up as much space as he could, on his tummy with his elbows propped up as he was typing away on his phone. He was shirtless, only wearing his black undies. They were branded as gender-neutral underwear, but stylised more after women’s boxer briefs (cut much shorter than men’s, with a flat front).  
   
 While the whole gender-neutral thing was cool, Oikawa bought them because A: they hugged his ass tight and made him look damn fine, and (more importantly) B: they had little spaceships on them. Even before he realised he identified as a boy, he was always jealous that boys had cool designs on their socks and undies while girls had more flat colours and occasionally a flower or two.  
   
 “Who are you texting?” asked Iwaizumi as he climbed over Oikawa, kissing his bare back.  
   
 Oikawa ignored the little shiver. “Someone who wants to suck Daichi’s dick.”  
   
 Iwaizumi snorted. “Suga-san?” He kissed Oikawa’s right shoulder blade.  
   
 Oikawa’s cheeks warmed. “Mhm.” His skin prickled into goosebumps. Iwaizumi was shirtless as well, Oikawa knew. Iwaizumi only had a pair of dark blue jeans loose around his hips since the black leather belt was discarded, and his boxers underneath. Oikawa was glad he was facing away, since he could hide the blush and maybe silence the little gasp when he got another kiss—but that also meant not being able to see Iwaizumi’s body, firm muscles, smooth skin, scar, and black ink tattoo…  
   
 Iwaizumi kissed Oikawa’s nape, the back of his neck, then craned over to kiss his neck closer to his collar.  
   
 Oikawa shivered, pretending he didn’t. “What are you up to,  _Hajime?”_  
   
 Iwaizumi froze, just for a second—the way Oikawa said his first name, the thrill it gave him… He swallowed hard. “Maybe you can guess.” He smiled as he kissed Oikawa’s bare shoulder, loving the slight salty taste of Oikawa’s skin, how soft it felt on his lips, how it smelled of flowers and other things most boys would be too ashamed to smell like.  
   
 “Well,” Oikawa said in a little purr, “This conversation with Suga is pretty interesting…”  
   
 Iwaizumi lowered his crotch, pressing it against Oikawa’s ass. He grinded against him, slow, teasing. He let out a hot little noise by Oikawa’s ear—and watched as the goosebumps spread along Oikawa’s back.  
   
 “Oh fuck,” was all Oikawa whispered.  
   
 “That conversation still interesting?”  
   
 “Hmmmm.” Oikawa made a show of thinking about it before he let his phone slip out of his fingers. He craned his neck back to look at Iwaizumi. “You kind of caught my attention.”  
   
 Iwaizumi smirked, and so did Oikawa. Iwaizumi kissed shoulder blade again. “Turn over?”  
   
 When Iwaizumi lifted his hips, Oikawa moved his body. It took some adjustments, but Oikawa spread his legs and Iwaizumi moved between them. They kissed, fitting their mouths together, closing their eyes, tasting each other, focusing only on each other. When Iwaizumi pulled away, Oikawa grinned. “Someone’s hard, huh? Does Iwa-chan want another blowie?”  
   
 “Iwa-chan,” Iwaizumi said in a shier voice than before, “Wants to do something else… if Toto-chan is up for it…”  
   
 “Hm?” Oikawa had a devious glint in his eyes. “And what would that… oh.” Oikawa’s eyes widened. “Oh.” A smile formed on his lips.  _“Oh.”_  He moved his arms back and propped himself up on his elbows. “You want to fuck.”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s cheeks warmed with colour, and even the dark room couldn’t hide the change. “Yeah,” he admitted. His throat felt dry. “I mean, if you want—I don’t want to force you…”  
   
 Oikawa grinned and moved his hands down. With some dexterity, and lifting his knees, he slipped off his underwear and tossed it aside. He moved his arms over his head, spreading his legs just a little. Iwaizumi’s hungry eyes were scanning him. Oikawa did his best to pose as sexy as he could, messing up his hair a little so a few disorganised strands of brown hair would fall in his face.  
   
 “Holy shit…” Iwaizumi swallowed hard. “You’re hot.”  
   
 Oikawa smiled, slowly. In a gentle whisper, “All yours…”  
   
 “Holy shit.” Iwaizumi felt his knees tingle. “We’re really going to do this.”  
   
 Oikawa laughed, nudging him. “Yeah, come on…” With his feet, he grabbed the sides of Iwaizumi’s jeans and began pushing them down.  
   
 Iwaizumi took the hint and discarded his clothes. His cock was hard, twitching, as he looked down at Oikawa. There was a tightness in his chest as he looked at Oikawa’s face, but his eyes kept moving down to his body, absorbing the sight of every ounce of perfect skin.  
   
 Oikawa was already wet—Iwaizumi’s body looming over him was like a dream come true. That cock hard and twitching, for him, was both exciting and thrilling. His own chest was tight.  
   
 Naturally, both of them were a bit cautious, a bit hesitant. They were both a bit scared, waiting for the other one to make the first move, staring at each other.  
   
 Iwaizumi stared at Oikawa.  
   
 Oikawa stared at Iwaizumi.  
   
 Iwaizumi took a deep breath.  
   
 Oikawa swallowed hard. “So this is some good sex.”  
   
 There was silence.  
   
 Then laughter.  
   
 Iwaizumi dove in, kissing Oikawa’s neck as he laughed. And Oikawa, laughing as well, felt their chests touch and kissed Iwaizumi’s shoulder. He moved his hands down Iwaizumi’s body, feeling that chest (and the memory of when he found out Iwaizumi worked out and his only response was  _“Score!”_  rang true in his mind). He was leading with his fingers, but letting his nails scratch lightly as he learned would make Iwaizumi shiver. He moved his hands down to Iwaizumi’s cock, grabbing what was so hard yet the skin was soft. He stroked it, feeling Iwaizumi twitch.  
   
 Iwaizumi also moved his hands down Oikawa’s body, down to his hips and up his legs. He cupped the soft skin behind Oikawa’s knees and continued a string of kisses from Oikawa’s neck to his shoulder. He moved his right hand between Oikawa’s legs, slipping a finger in. It was warm and wet, and he began reaching for that spot at the top that always made Oikawa twitch.  
   
 Oikawa gasped and nibbled on Iwaizumi’s shoulder. “So, um,” his voice was weaker now (afraid?).  
   
 Iwaizumi kept moving his finger inside Oikawa but looked up. “Yeah?”  
   
 “So I mentioned this before…” Oikawa felt another finger slip in and jolted at the new feeling.  
   
 “Sorry!”  
   
 “It’s okay.” Oikawa chuckled, nervously. “Just surprised me.”  
   
 Iwaizumi stopped fingering him. “You were saying?”  
   
 “Just, uh, mentioned this before. I don’t. You know. Need a condom, exactly. Since my period stopped, there’s no, uh, ovulation—so no fertility—so no preggo-eggo. I mean, small chance, every body’s different, but y’know and I was just—”  
   
 “Okay,” Iwaizumi whispered.  
   
 “I’d use a condom for like, other people, and stuff, but.” Oikawa swallowed hard, knowing he was awkwardly rambling. “But I’m clean, got tested recently and, so—”  
   
 “I did the same,” admitted Iwaizumi. “Clean.”  
   
 “Oh, you should have told me—we could have had a blood test date.”  
   
 “You stupid…” Iwaizumi smiled. “Back to condoms… I have some if you want, but if we don’t need one…”  
   
 “We don’t need one.” Oikawa shrugged, a little too quickly to be nonchalant. “Which is good because I can’t feel anything when it’s on, baby.”  
   
 “What? Really?”  
   
 Oikawa laughed. “No, that’s just… that’s just what some douchebags tried on me so they didn’t have to use a condom. We did. I’m sorry, I don’t know, I’m nervous.” He took a big breath. “I’ve taken like five dicks why am I so nervous, shit!”  
   
 “It’s okay.” Iwaizumi kissed his cheek. “We don’t have to.”  
   
 “I want to.” Oikawa closed his eyes. “I just…!”  
   
 Iwaizumi kissed him, firmly, and felt the tension release. “Breathe. Relax, okay?”  
   
 Oikawa swallowed and nodded. “Trying…”  
   
 Iwaizumi slipped his two fingers back in, slowly, carefully. His thumb moved up, rubbing the clit in slow circles.  
   
 Oikawa kept his eyes closed and moved his head back, resting against the bed. He felt Iwaizumi kiss his neck and he remembered to breathe. Iwaizumi’s fingers inside him, thumb on his clit, Oikawa didn’t realise he was moving his hips back and forth against his boyfriend’s hand. He did, however, remember Iwaizumi’s cock was still in his hand, so he began stroking it. It felt better to get pleasure while he was  _doing_  something. Iwaizumi’s hands were a little awkward, but they were getting more skill with every trial. “Fuck,” whispered Oikawa. And then a thought crossed his mind. “Are you okay?”  
   
 Iwaizumi blinked. “Me?”  
   
 “You’re asking me, taking care of me… nobody’s asking you.” No jokes, in all seriousness, Oikawa asked: “Are you okay?”  
   
 “I’m nervous,” Iwaizumi admitted with a smile, “Scared.”  
   
 “Of what?” Oikawa couldn’t help but laugh. “That my cunt’s gonna snap your dick off?”  
   
 “No!” Iwaizumi blushed. His eyebrows knitted together. “Wait… it can do that?”  
   
  _“No!”_  
   
 “Oh, sorry… I’m just…” Iwaizumi smiled as he shrugged. “I’m scared. I don’t know what I’m doing… I don’t want to, hurt you… If I do anything—”  
   
 “I’ll tell you.” Oikawa took a breath. He nodded. “Okay… um.”  
   
 “Ready?”  
   
 “As I’ll ever be… I mean, yes.” Oikawa took another big gulp of air, melodramatically this time. “Hajime we’re just making it worse!”  
   
 Iwaizumi burst into a fit of giggles (yes, Iwaizumi, giggling). He leaned down, kissing Oikawa smooth and rough. “Probably.” He moved his hand out of Oikawa and grabbed his cock. With his left hand by Oikawa’s shoulder, his right hand stroked himself twice. He rubbed the head of his cock up and down the cleft. Down near the entrance and up the folds to the clit, in smooth, even strokes.  
   
 Oikawa shivered, stifling a little noise.  
   
 Slowly Iwaizumi leaned forward, and began to push in.  
   
 Oikawa oddly felt relaxed; it filled him, slowly, inch by inch, moving towards his core. His knees twitched, toes curled, while his hands explored Iwaizumi’s body. Oikawa felt his body hug around the cock, making it feel so much bigger and thicker, and he loved how comfortably it was sliding in, filling him, filling him.  
   
 Iwaizumi gasped, already breathless. He was three fourths in and it was unlike anything he’d ever felt. Warm, wet, hugging him, inviting him. He pushed until he was completely inside Oikawa, feeling the hair at the base of his cock press up against Oikawa’s clit. He pressed himself further, so his tummy was against Oikawa’s, so his chest was against Oikawa, and so his lips pressed against Oikawa’s.  
   
 They kissed.  
   
 Oikawa squeezed down on the cock, and Iwaizumi gasped—breaking the kiss.  
   
 Slowly, Iwaizumi moved back, to about halfway, and then pushed in again.  
   
 And then.  
   
 “Oh fuck….”  
   
 Iwaizumi shuddered, closing his eyes, biting his lip.  
   
 Oikawa felt the pulsing of Iwaizumi’s cock, the way it twitched and shivered, and then something warm spreading inside his most intimate part. Speechless, Oikawa looked at Iwaizumi. “Did… did you just?”  
   
 “Oh fuck…” Iwaizumi’s face began to burn. “I came…”  
   
 “Iwa-chan you lasted like eighteen seconds.”  
   
 “It… It was at least a minute.”  
   
 “Eighteen seconds. Maybe less.”  
   
 “A minute! Tooru, it was a minute! Two!”  
   
 “It was eighteen seconds!”  
   
 “Shut up!” Iwaizumi dove his head into the space between Oikawa’s neck and shoulder. “It was my first time with that, regions!”  
   
 Oikawa laughed, loud, and felt the smile on Iwaizumi’s face. “Are you telling me all that ‘Are you ready?’ bullshit for eighteen seconds? That’s it?”  
   
 “Well! If maybe you didn’t jerk me off so much before—”  
   
 But Oikawa’s laughter just became louder. “Eighteen seconds!”  
   
 “Hey, shut up!” Iwaizumi laughed as well. “I’ll last longer next time…”  
   
 “Twenty-seven seconds?”  
   
 “Tooru!”  
   
 “Or maybe thirty-six?”  
   
 “Shut. Up. Tooru.”  
   
 Oikawa just kept laughing.  
   
 “I didn’t think…” Iwaizumi didn’t finish his sentence, just continued to hide in Oikawa’s neck.  
   
 “Awww.” Oikawa hugged him tight. “It’s okay—you’ll last longer next time. I mean you lasted nine seconds, you can’t get a more extreme score than that. Ever heard of regression towards the mean?”  
   
 Iwaizumi whined a pathetic noise.  
   
 Oikawa laughed and gave about a dozen tiny little kisses to his cheek. “You know you fit nicely inside me…”  
   
 “Oh.” Iwaizumi moved back, looked down, and took a breath. “I should probably pull out.”  
   
 “And then you can look at the cream pie…”  
   
 “Tooru, that’s gross.”  
   
 “Oh, sorry. ‘They’re innocent sweet desserts’, that’s right. Banana cream pie right’s activist Iwa-chan.”  
   
 Iwaizumi eventually did pull out, and they cleaned up. Afterwards, they lay in bed together, side by side, and Iwaizumi got Oikawa off with his fingers. He loved the way Oikawa writhed and moved his hips against his hand when he was close to orgasm—and the sweet noise Oikawa made was all the more worth it. Iwaizumi hummed, putting an arm around his boyfriend, holding him close.  
   
 Oikawa rested his head against Iwaizumi’s chest and pretended his hand was a person walking with his middle and index finger along Iwaizumi’s tummy.  
   
 “I love you, Prince,” whispered Iwaizumi as he kissed the top of Oikawa’s head.  
   
 “I love you too. Even if you lasted eighteen seconds.”  
   
 “It was a minute.”  
   
 “Hajime it probably wasn’t even eighteen seconds…”  
   
 “I know, but…”  
   
 Oikawa chuckled.  
   
 “Tooru…”  
   
 “Don’t be embarrassed!” Oikawa laughed and looked up to kiss his Iwa-chan’s lips. “It just means we have to keep doing it a lot so you can last longer.”  
   
 “Fine,” Iwaizumi said as if it wasn’t he wanted. “I guess we’ll just have to try again.”  
   
 Oikawa grinned like a feral. “I guess.”   
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Kenma’s eyes snapped open.  
   
  _“Jealous? – I got myself a new plaything, yeah. But don’t worry. I’ll still make you my little kitten if you want me to.”_  
   
 Kenma’s bones shivered. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut, feeling his every cell shaking—his breathing was erratic, audible, and he put a hand to his mouth, silencing himself. He forced himself to breathe through his nose, breathing in over four seconds, holding it for one to two seconds, then letting it out over four seconds. He didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but for the past thirty-five or so years that was his usual routine to ride out his anxiety.  
   
 He let go of his mouth eventually.  
   
 His body was stiff, tough. But he forced himself to sit up. Silk sheets pooled in his lap and he looked around the large room of the penthouse unit they were renting.  
   
 He closed his eyes—no.  
   
 No, no, no.  
   
 Kenma gasped, sharply, and covered his mouth again.  
   
 It couldn’t be Kuroo; it couldn’t be…  
   
 He thought back to the person he used to think of as a mentor, though he was only a couple steps ahead. Like when a marathon runners tells themselves ‘one more step’, ‘just one more step’, Kuroo was that space right in front of him, his attainable and eternal goal. He thought back to their silly talks, the banter—the time Kuroo had gotten him roses when Kenma’s ex had dumped him a day before valentines—he remembered fighting side by side, against the Dark…  
   
 Kenma shut his eyes tight, hand clasping his mouth, while his heart beat like a war drum in his chest.  
   
 He thought of Kuroo’s bed head, and how he had joked (hint hint nudge nudge) that he wouldn’t mind waking up next to Kuroo—but the memory, like a knife, of Kuroo’s wedding struck his chest. His heart rate finally began to slow down.  
   
  _“Always the bridesmaid, never the bride,”_  Oikawa had joked at the wedding when Kenma let his guard down and let his fake smile fall. Oikawa didn’t know a damn thing at the time. Oikawa didn’t know that those words shot through his heart (there was no cruelty in the words and Kenma knew they would not have been spoken if Oikawa knew how he felt).  
   
 If Oikawa knew Kenma wished—  
   
 The bad memory was like a bad movie: Kenma being the best man at his best friend’s wedding, watching the man he loved – the man he loved so  _fucking_  much – but in the end he was cast aside. And Kenma remembered, amongst the memory images of the dear sweet bride and groom, the dark snap that was the memory of coffins being lowered and funerals that followed.  
   
 It couldn’t be him. Kenma opened his eyes, finally, and looked to the ceiling. He fell back against the bed, the soft, soft bed…  
   
  _It can’t be him,_  Kenma thought. No, it wasn’t. It wasn’t.  
   
 He convinced himself, so it would be easier.  
   
 He’d rewrite the scenes in his head—he’d deny the truth, even if it was unable to be denied.  
   
 “It couldn’t be…” He rolled over, on his side, and closed his eyes. And, in another whisper, “It couldn’t be…”


	19. Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So this may or may not be my last update before the holidays. I'm going to _try_ to have another chapter written/edited/posted before Christmas but I have a flight the morning of the 24th, and I'll be without my laptop until the 1st, so we'll see. It also needs to go through my amazing stand-in beta, Nikooki, who never signed up for beta'ing so much LOL, but kudos to her. I'm glad to hear you guys are enjoying this fic so much!!
> 
> Last few chapters have been short, so enjoy a longer one!
> 
> EDIT: Also, we broke 100k words!! Excite!! <3
> 
> * * *

_[Oikawa Tooru, 7:01am] so Daiddykinkchi said yes?  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 7:12am] Does that mean Daichi?  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 7:17am] yeeeeeee, he said yes to going to the party tomz?  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 7:19am] *Happy train noises*  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 7:21am] wow, gotta hand it to ur persuasion skills, didn’t think he was down for the whole REBEL thing. Thought he was a straight edge kinda guy.  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 7:22am] I convinced him after I jerked him off in the locker room after vb practice so I don’t think there’s anything straight about him  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 7:23am] hahahahahahaha  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 7:23am] hahahahahaha  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 7:23am] hahahahahaha  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 7:23am] hahahahahahaha  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 7:23am] hahahahhaha  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 7:23am] hahaha  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 7:24am] No but really  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 7:24am] hahaha  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 7:24am] thought he was more law abiding  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 7:25am] Oh. Yeah. Me too, actually. But I think he’s got this hidden wild streak in him…  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 7:25am] rly now???  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 7:26am] *Happy train noises*  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 7:26am] omfg Koushi_  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Things were falling into a comfortable lull, and Oikawa found himself hoping it would stay this way for a while. He had had enough excitement, as far as he was concerned anyway. The anime club had its meeting, and an episode was playing on the projector. Kiyoko seemed a bit stiff, like she had been in class earlier, but nobody thought too much of it. Yachi, by her side, kept offering her things to make her smile (which were usually cookies or tea; those didn’t make her smile, but the fact that Yachi offered with so much caring and warmth was enough for her to give the smallest of smiles).  
   
 Yamaguchi was getting comfortable as well, and had begun talking to the louder members too.  
   
 Hinata had taken a couple days off, to recover from the toad’s hypnotic attack, but he was back in action and nobody was the wiser that he had been at death’s door just a short while ago. Kei and Akiteru Tsukishima were the same way, but neither of them were at the club.  
   
 After the episode of the day, Tanaka was flirting with Kiyoko, and Oikawa watched out of interest since Kiyoko seemed to be… entertaining him enough. Hinata, Nishinoya, and Yachi had gone off to one side. Oikawa’s eyes caught Suga and Yamaguchi talking to each other on the other side of the room.  
   
 Oikawa slumped against Iwaizumi.  
   
 Iwaizumi instinctively put an arm around him, kissing the top of his head. “You okay?”  
   
 “Yeah.” Oikawa closed his eyes, remembering the party was tomorrow night. “Just… happy, I guess.” He opened his eyes and offered a smile, a real smile.  
   
 Iwaizumi’s heart beat a little too fast.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “Can you help me study?” Iwaizumi said as he nuzzled Oikawa’s neck, later. They had gone to Oikawa’s house after. They didn’t say anything, just held hands and Oikawa lead them to the train station. Iwaizumi followed, not wanting to let go of the fingers that intertwined in his. Now they were lying on the couch, spooning. Oikawa was the little spoon (surprise). Iwaizumi had an arm around him, tickling his tummy every once in a while until Oikawa slapped his hand away. They both smiled.  
   
 “Study?” Oikawa hummed. “What’s in it for me?”  
   
 “Don’t be selfish with your boyfriend.”  
   
 “What’s in it for me, Hajime?”  
   
 “I’ll eat you out.”  
   
 “Deal.”  
   
 Oikawa’s home was like a second home to Iwaizumi, or maybe a first, and Iwaizumi wondered if Oikawa felt the same way about his home (most likely).  
   
 “But.” Oikawa turned over to face his boyfriend. “Can we just, cuddle first?”  
   
 “Okay.”  
   
 Oikawa nuzzled Iwaizumi’s neck, smiling. “Iwa-bear.”  
   
 “No.”  
   
 “Iwa-bara.”  
   
 “No.”  
   
 “You have big bara arms.”  
   
 “No.”  
   
 “Can I touch your arms?”  
   
 “… Yes.” Iwaizumi moved back a little (not that he could much on the couch) and grabbed the hem of his shirt. He tugged it over his head and tossed it aside.  
   
 Oikawa appreciated the view, then pressed his fingers against Iwaizumi’s chest, gently, as if it was the first time they’d touched.  
   
 “I thought you wanted my arms.”  
   
 “I want it all.” Oikawa smiled. “I’m greedy.”  
   
 “Spoiled Prince,” Iwaizumi muttered before kissing Oikawa’s cheek.  
   
 “That’s me.”  
   
 They kissed.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Later that night, Oikawa walked Iwaizumi to the station. Iwaizumi had wanted to stay the night, but some kind of vibe told him Oikawa wanted to be alone. Oikawa did. Not in a sharp way, but in a soft way. Like Oikawa wouldn’t mind the company, but every once in a while he’d feel bad for not paying attention to his boyfriend. He just wanted some time to think. He gave Iwaizumi a tight big hug by the station then waved him off when he left.  
   
 Oikawa turned his heel and began walking home.  
   
 As he walked through the dark streets, a familiar glint caught his eye. Out of the corner of his eye, he looked at the alleyway he was just about to pass.  
   
 Akaashi Keiji had his back to the wall, arms crossed, one leg crossed over the other as he leaned back. “Oikawa-san.”  
   
 “Oikawa’s fine,” he said softly. “How many times do I have to tell you, Keiji-chan?”  
   
 “Keiji-chan is not fine.” Akaashi eyed him for a moment before pushing off the wall. “Mind if I walk with you?”  
   
 “Not at all.” Oikawa motioned forward, a certain tension in the creases in his face.  
   
 “It’s alright. There are no immediate threats of any kind.” Akaashi didn’t care that it looked odd that a man in his late twenties wearing a prim, proper, expensive black suit that probably cost more than a few organs looked odd next to a high school boy in a white uniform blazer. A little clash, but he heeded it no consciousness. “I’m not here on behalf of Kenma-san. I’m here out of my own accord, out of curiosity.”  
   
 “Curiosity, eh?”  
   
 “It killed the cat, after all.”  
   
 “But satisfaction brought it back.” Oikawa smiled, putting both his hands behind his head as he walked. “How can I help you, Akaashi?”  
   
 “I was curious as to your… relationship, with Kenma-san. I suppose asking you is a bit unprofessional, considering it may look as though I am going behind my boss’ back, though he doesn’t seem to be in a state that he can respond to such questions. I ask you to inform me, as much as you can, to the level of detail Kenma-san would be comfortable with.”  
   
 “Hm.” Oikawa didn’t miss the words ‘doesn’t seem to be in a state that he can respond’, but made no reaction to them. “Kenma’s a pretty chill guy, and we don’t have any kind of hush hush history.”  
   
 “No?”  
   
 “Nope.” Oikawa shook his head. “Kenma was… He was assigned to this sector, when I was new.”  
   
 “Assigned to a Sector?” Akaashi raised a thin black eyebrow. “I apologise, but you may be mistaken… Sectin members of special operation forces are not assigned anywhere.”  
   
 “Well… apparently something happened. He told me he was temporarily… demoted, for a while. I don’t know the story – asked once, and he made it pretty clear in his subtle way that it wasn’t a conversation we were going to be having. Whether that’s because I barely knew him or because it was some big scandal, I don’t know. But it was a pretty tough time for him. I was… young. Well, younger. Fourteen, I think. I was living on my own, since my mom just dropped me here, trying to tame the sector.”  
   
 Akaashi’s jaw tightened. “Is that so…?” He bit his lip. “At fourteen?”  
   
 “Well, I’m sure you know about my mom.” Oikawa forced a little laugh; it rang hollow. “She’s the Blood Ring. It was her way of making me strong, I guess. I complained, obviously, I was a brat, but she told me she had managed to tame her first Sector at thirteen.”  
   
 “Ah, yes.” Akaashi nodded slowly. “However, her first sector was not as chaotic as Yokohama.”  
   
 “No, but, whatever.”  
   
 “Your mother is,” Akaashi paused, as if to find a nicer word, but nothing came.  
   
 “Fucking crazy.”  
   
 Akaashi nodded. They walked under a streetlight for a while, then stepped back into shadows. “It must have been hard, to live in her enormous shadow.”  
   
 “Yeah.”  
   
 “You don’t have to be like her, you know.”  
   
 “Yeah, I’m aware. I have no intention of ever becoming her… Tokyo’s a war zone because of her.”  
   
 Akaashi said nothing.  
   
 They walked in silence.  
   
 Oikawa turned the corner. “Kenma and I… I guess we met when we were both troubled. He guided me, a bit… a lot. We didn’t talk very much, to be honest, but I think that’s Kenma’s way. The important things are left unspoken with him.”  
   
 “Yes. I agree.”  
   
 Oikawa nodded. “But he and I care for each other. It’s a strange friendship, with twenty years age difference, but he’s a good friend.”  
   
 “Sounds like a close friend,” Akaashi murmured, “By Kenma’s standards, anyway.”  
   
 Oikawa scoffed. “How is he?”  
   
 “Recovering.”  
   
 Since Akaashi left it at that, Oikawa didn’t press for any more information. “If you come across any information…”  
   
 “Will do, Oikawa-san.”  
   
 Oikawa paused in front of his building, looking up to see most lights on, some lights off. “About Angel…”  
   
 Akaashi eyed him.  
   
 “I am not my mother. I don’t believe in slaughter. But Angel.” Oikawa’s eyes hardened, and a certain hidden cruel aspect of him began to show. “When I find out who he is, I’ll be happy and satisfied to ruin him. Maybe to the point of death.”  
   
 Akaashi nodded. If that statement bothered him, he didn’t say. He stepped out of the light and darkness of black, purple, and deep dark blue swallowed his image.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 When Oikawa got to school the next morning he was feeling weak to be honest. It was a nice day, not too many people talked to him, only a couple letters in his shoe box. He went up the stairs and entered his classroom. When he got in his seat, before any of his friends had entered, he stretched over his desk and put his head down. He pressed his forehead against his desk, keeping his eyes shut. He sighed, taking in a slow breath.  
   
 “Moron, did you eat?”  
   
 Oikawa looked up.  
   
 Iwaizumi offered a slice of toasted milk bread.  
   
 Oikawa instantly recognised it as the homemade one Iwaizumi made. Milk bread (his favourite) with lots of yummy steel cut oats and nuts for nutrition. It had just the right notes of sweet and savory, and it was filling and yummy and nice and fluffy to munch on. “I forgot,” he admitted before taking the bread. He munched on it. A smile formed on his lips.  
   
 “Good?”  
   
 “Very.”  
   
 “Good.” Iwaizumi took his seat and nibbled on his own piece of toast. “I made lunch for us.”  
   
 Oikawa’s smile grew. “You did?”  
   
 “I liked it when we made lunch for each other.”  
   
 Oikawa chuckled and took another bite. Since he was in public, he didn’t talk with food in his mouth. He chewed carefully and swallowed before speaking, “I do like your cooking.”  
   
 “I haven’t cooked a full meal for you in a while.”  
   
 “Yeah you did, the other day.”  
   
 “Hm.” Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow. “You’re right. Forgot. I just want to do it more often, I guess.”  
   
 “Iwa-chan.” Oikawa’s smile turned devious. “Hajime…”  
   
 Iwaizumi glanced at him, warmth reddening his cheeks.  
   
 Oikawa smiled. “I love you.”  
   
 Iwaizumi didn’t think as he leaned over, kissing him lightly. “Love you too.”  
   
 “Well,” came a loud voice from the front of the class. Takeda had a couple folders in his hands and he tapped the bottom of the sheets against the podium up front to straighten them out. “Now that our lovely class couple is done, let’s focus on homeroom.”  
   
 Oikawa blinked. He didn’t know when the class was full, but he heard a chorus of stifled chuckles and giggles (and of course saw Sugawara giving him a smirk that only demons in the hiding could make). “You’re all just! Jealous!”  
   
 “Shut up,” murmured Iwaizumi. He grabbed the back of Oikawa’s head and pushed it down in a fake bow. “He means he apologises!”  
   
 “That’s not what I meant!”  
   
 Takeda just laughed. “Apology accepted.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Homeroom went on, and classes came one after another, until lunchtime.  
   
 “So, tonight’s the party, with Ushijima.”  
   
 “More like.” Oikawa held up a spicy tuna roll with his chopsticks. “Sushi-jima.”  
   
 Iwaizumi paused to stare at him.  
   
 Oikawa ate the roll and swallowed. “Yeah, tonight’s the night.”  
   
 “What time are we leaving?”  
   
 “Well, we’re going to meet up with Koushi, Daichi, and Lev. We’re all gonna take the bus from a stop nearby my place, since it’s a short ride.”  
   
 “Okay. Want to hang out with Suga-san and the others first, or?”  
   
 “Nah, I think Koushi and Daichi want some alone time wink wink nudge nudge so we can head to my place if you want!”  
   
 “Yeah, I’d like that.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 After school, they stopped by Iwaizumi’s place so he could grab a change of clothes (he didn’t want to go to a university party in his high school uniform), but they eventually took the train to Oikawa’s place. When they got there, Oikawa slipped off his blazer. “I want to take a shower,” he announced.  
   
 “Yeah?” From behind, Iwaizumi kissed his neck. “You smell good to me.”  
   
 “Weirdo.” Oikawa smiled. But he kissed Iwaizumi’s cheek. “You can join me if you want.”  
   
 Iwaizumi smirked.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Three people waited by the bus stop. It was only when the tallest one caught sight of his dearest and most important that he got up. With the a million heart beats a second, Lev threw his arms in the air. “Aniki!”  
   
 “Fuck you.”  
   
 Suga and Daichi got up as well. Suga smiled. “You guys are late.”  
   
 Oikawa frowned. “Sorry.”  
   
 Iwaizumi had a bandage on his forehead, on the right side.  
   
 Oikawa’s hair was ruffled and his clothes looked like they had been hurriedly put on.  
   
 Both of them looked… upset.  
   
 Daichi’s eyes softened. “Are you guys okay?”  
   
 There was a pause.  
   
 Suga had noticed it too, of course.  
   
 Since Lev did not get his fabled ‘Otouto’ in return, his lower lip wibbled. The world was a dangerous place to him, right now, since he couldn’t have what was fated and promised to him by the moments that made other moments jealous and something about Oikawa getting it on.  
   
 Oikawa gave a dead smile. “We’re great.”  
   
 “Wonderful,” murmured Iwaizumi in a dry tone.  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes narrowed and he moved in. “You know what’s a myth? Shower sex.” His eyebrows knit closer together. “It’s not sexy. It’s not hot. It’s dangerous – that’s what it is. Dangerous. And it’s not like _ooo danger,_ like ow fucking ow danger.”  
   
 Daichi blinked. “Is that so?”  
   
 “Yeah.” Oikawa nodded. “Like, okay… Let me just get to the point.” His lips pursed into a tight line. “We slipped.”  
   
 Iwaizumi pointed to his new bandage.  
   
 Lev mouthed an ‘Ouch’.  
   
 Sugawara looked between them. “Slipped. How?”  
   
 “It’s.” Iwaizumi sighed. “A long story, I guess.”  
   
 “Oh we have time,” assured Oikawa.  
   
 “I guess we do.” Suga laughed as he checked his phone. “We missed two buses waiting for you guys. Next one’s only in six minutes, then it’s a ten minute bus ride.”  
   
 Iwaizumi eyed him. “Only ten minutes?”  
   
 “We’re already downtown, so yeah.”  
   
 Oikawa waved away that conversation. “Back to the dangers and the how not sexy shower sex is.” He glared at them. “You know, I’m a bit taller than Hajime. Not by much, but I’m taller. The height difference doesn’t really bother us, but when you’re not fucking on a bed, and you’re standing up, sometimes the height of your junk mismatches, so that’s kinda not fun. So I tried like, leaning on the wall, tried that for a while, it was okay. Until he slipped.”  
   
 Daichi bit his lip.  
   
 “That was the first time,” admitted Iwaizumi. “Nobody got hurt, but I slipped. Just scared the hell out of us.”  
   
 “We laughed it off,” Oikawa went on, “Thinking the worst was over. The worst was not over. You know what else nobody tells you about? I don’t know if this is too much info, but y’know, vaginas do things. My body makes its own lubricant, I get wet, and it’s useful. But when the water is just running over us it’s literally just washing it away.” He made ‘shoo’-ing motions with his hands. “And so it can get quite dry after a while if you’re not careful. And we tried new positions to get it to work and stuff too.”  
   
 Daichi, amused, simply asked, “Did you now?”  
   
 “Yeah. We tried with like, the whole like, me leaning on the far side with him doing it from behind. That worked for a while. But y’know what? I don’t think they make all showers equal. Maybe some showers are made for fucking and some aren’t. Because he got all the hot water and all I got was the cold air from the other side of the curtain. So guess who started sneezing. I did. I started sneezing. And sadly neither of us have a sneezing fetish. I started sneezing while getting my pussy hammered!”  
   
 Sugawara covered his mouth.  
   
 Daichi did that thing where he poked the inside of his cheek with his tongue to stop himself from smiling.  
   
 Lev, without grace, just burst into a laugh that could be heard from four blocks away.  
   
 The bus pulled up. They got on, one at a time, giving the fare, and then moving to the back where five seats were next to each other. The order, from right to left, was Iwaizumi, Oikawa, Lev, Sugawara, and Daichi. Lev, being the tall uncoordinated puppy he was, liked having the leg room and stretched his noodle limbs out between the aisle in front of him.  
   
 “After that,” Oikawa begun again without warning, “I decided, y’know what, I’m not really that interested so I’m just gonna suck him off. I’ve got one of those showers that are also bathtubs. So you know the floors of bathtubs? You really wanna be on your knees on that, for more than a minute?”  
   
 “Yeah, no.” Sugawara winced.  
   
 Daichi hid a small laugh into his sleeve.  
   
 “Anyway, so we went back to our first position. And then he slipped again.”  
   
 Iwaizumi leaned forward and pointed at his bandage.  
   
 Oikawa huffed. “I need a drink. I need a strong drink, like really strong.”  
   
 Sugawara smiled. “We’ll get you some, don’t worry.”  
   
 Daichi put an arm around Suga’s waist, pulling him close.  
   
 Sugawara’s cheeks warmed and he leaned on his boyfriend.  
   
 “Oh look at them,” Oikawa said out loud, tactless, “Being so cute with their cuddling on public transit. Fuck you guys.”  
   
 Daichi could no longer hide his grin. “Wow he’s sour.”  
   
 “Salty as fuck,” murmured Suga, smiling.  
   
 Lev just started laughing again.  
   
 “Shut up you noodle.”  
   
 Iwaizumi nudged his boyfriend. “You shut up. Just shut up and hug me.”  
   
 Oikawa dove at his boyfriend, nuzzling his neck.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 By the time they got to campus, Oikawa had considerably calmed down, and Iwaizumi became more sociable. They found out the party wasn’t technically on campus, as Ushijima had said, but it was in one of the houses about a block away, in a semi-residential block in the middle of downtown. They found it soon enough (it wasn’t hard because it was the one house so many people were flocking too). They more or less walked in like they belonged and nobody seemed to question it.  
   
 Inside, the music was blasting loud, some kind of techno remix of some J-pop Iwaizumi didn’t recognise. Whoever hosted the party must have been obsessed with strobe lights because there were about a dozen of those. They quickly flashed light in regular intervals. Someone (and they had no idea who) offered them drinks in red plastic cups. They assumed it was beer and just started drinking it.  
   
 “Ew.” Oikawa took another three gulps of it. “I’m way more into pretty drinks than this stuff, but it’s not too bad I guess.”  
   
 Iwaizumi laughed and swallowed it down in one go.  
   
 Daichi took smaller sips and eyed Suga. “What about you? Are you into the girly drinks?”  
   
 Sugawara gave a small shy smile. “Yeah.”  
   
 “Hm.” Daichi leaned over and murmured, “Pretty boy,” in his ear before a quick kiss to the corner of his lips.  
   
 Oikawa eyed the exchange – yeah, Daichi definitely had a hidden wild streak (he liked that; it was more fun that way).  
   
 Suga laughed and kissed back.  
   
 Lev didn’t mind being the single one, didn’t even notice, since he was more or less distracted by lights!! and music!! and alcohol!! and stuff he could use for his next book!!  
   
 Oikawa pulled out his phone. “Where the fuck is Waka-chan?” He saw no new messages and hmm’d. “Whatever. He’ll message me eventually.”  
   
 “So.” Iwaizumi looked around. “What do people do at parties?”  
   
 “Well!” Lev, pretending to be an expert, flailed his limbs everywhere, “Drinks! Parties! Dance!”  
   
 “Otouto,” purred Oikawa. “Come dance with me!”  
   
 “Aniki!”  
   
 Iwaizumi watched them go. “What a loser.”  
   
 “He is.” Suga rolled his eyes. “Come on.”  
   
 In the thick of the crowd, Iwaizumi only registered one thing: Oikawa and Lev were dancing way too close. He didn’t mind that much, just found it kind of funny. It wasn’t until Oikawa and Sugawara started dancing that he felt his mind spin. If Oikawa and Lev were way too close, then Oikawa and Sugawara were way way _way too close._ Bodies practically inseparable, grinding on each other, moving in the rhythm, letting the music take over, eyes half-lidded, primal movement.  
   
 Iwaizumi felt some girl pull him into a dance and thought nothing of it. She wasn’t exactly liberal, but there was some grinding and suggestive dancing. It was meaningless (and it paled in comparison to his boyfriend). He really didn’t think much of it – until a jealous Oikawa yanked him away, leaving the girl quite confused.  
   
 “Jealous?” purred Iwaizumi.  
   
 “Oh you know how petty I am,” admitted Oikawa, with a smile. “But maybe I just want you all to me.”  
   
 “I want to be all for you,” purred Iwaizumi.  
   
 In the crowd, Sugawara grabbed Oikawa’s arm. “He says he’s going to be late.”  
   
 Oikawa turned his head. “Waka-chan?”  
   
 “Yeah.”  
   
 “Hmmm.” Oikawa frowned. “This place looks nice. Think they have a nice patio?”  
   
 “We can’t just take over someone’s patio.”  
   
 “Of course we can. I can do whatever I want. I’m fabulous.”  
   
 Daichi, appearing behind Suga, smiled. “We can just blame Oikawa if we break anything.”  
   
 Iwaizumi snorted.  
   
 “Story of my life,” said Sugawara.  
   
 They all laughed, except Oikawa. “Shut up,” he said, trying not to smile.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 The four of them broke away from the crowd, leaving Lev behind. They had sent him a couple messages to let him know where they were, but they went on ahead. There indeed was a patio, with a swimming pool. It wasn’t glorious or as large as the ones in the movies, but there were a few patio chairs. Outside, the music was at a much better volume. Iwaizumi sat on a chair, and Oikawa sat in his lap, hunched over his phone as he was texting Ushijima to figure out what was going on. “What a loser.”  
   
 Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow. “Is he not coming?”  
   
 “He is,” said Sugawara. “He’s just going to be late. He got held up since they closed the bridge on the north side, so he’s just got to go around.” He paused for a while. “It’s okay, we’ll still see him. I just kind of want to see him now. Because apparently I’m a brat.”  
   
 “Hm.” Daichi – who had the honour of Suga sitting on his lap – smiled. “You are a bit of a brat.”  
   
 “I get it from Tooru.”  
   
 “Hey!” yelled Oikawa as he got up. “I’m getting us drinks.” He waved them off as he left.  
   
 Iwaizumi watched him go, then glanced to Sugawara. “So you’re close friends with Ushijima-san, Suga-san?”  
   
 “Suga’s fine,” he assured. “But yeah. I’m very close with him, but he doesn’t text me much. Because he’s not sure of what to make of the whole train noise thing.”  
   
 “Nobody understands your train shit,” Oikawa yelled to announce his return. He had several cans of beer (or at least they assumed it was beer) and he put them down on the patio table. He pulled a switchblade out of his pocket and then stuck out the little knife. “Iwa-chan, are you ready to try to out drink me and then die trying?”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s eyes narrowed. “What?”  
   
 “Peer pressure is a horrible thing, Iwa-chan, so don't make me a bad person by forcing you. Drink up already!” Oikawa stabbed the bottom of the beer can and then shoved it against Iwaizumi’s mouth. “Keep drinking or it’ll spill everywhere!”  
   
 Iwaizumi made some kind of grunt as he swallowed.  
   
 Oikawa stabbed a hole in the bottom of one and put it against his mouth. He then threw the switchblade at Sugawara.  
   
 Suga yelped, but caught it by the handle. He exchanged a look with Daichi. Daichi began to protest, but Suga stabbed two holes at the bottom of two cans and then, in a sweet voice, “Let’s go.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 After their third cans, each, Sugawara and Oikawa were more or less hammered. Iwaizumi mumbled something about them being basic lightweights and then Oikawa took it as a compliment because his boyfriend was complimenting the fact that he was skinny. Daichi and Iwaizumi stayed at one can each. Oikawa and Sugawara, drunk, were sharing a patio chair, looking at each other and giggling.  
   
 “Koushi, you are… so, so pretty.”  
   
 “No, I’m not…” Suga shook his head. “I’m not…”  
   
 “No,” Oikawa said as his head wiggled. “You are so pretty.”  
   
 “No… not as pretty as you…”  
   
 “Waaaaay prettier than me.”  
   
 Sugawara gasped very slowly. “But you’re so pretty…”  
   
 Oikawa gasped as well. “You think I’m pretty?”  
   
 “Yeah.”  
   
 “Wanna make out?”  
   
 “Yeah.”  
   
 Oikawa cupped Suga’s face and brought their lips together. Suga giggled into the kiss and pressed himself completely against Oikawa.  
   
 Iwaizumi and Daichi stared.  
   
 Oikawa’s hands raced along Sugawara’s outer thighs and moved up his shirt, while Suga’s hands instinctively moved between Oikawa’s legs and he rubbed his palm against his crotch.  
   
 “Wow,” murmured Iwaizumi. He cleared his throat. “That’s…”  
   
 Daichi forced himself to breathe as he squeaked out, “Hot.”  
   
 “Holy shit yeah.”  
   
 A new voice murmured, “Yes. They do that.”  
   
 Iwaizumi looked over his shoulder.  
   
 The man was tall, taller than all of them. Not as tall as Lev, but he wasn’t a noodle. He had a muscled stature, obviously worked out. “Ushijima Wakatoshi.” He offered his hand.  
   
 “Iwaizumi Hajime,” he said as he shook it.  
   
 Daichi went next, giving his usual saying, “Sawamura Daichi. Daichi’s fine, Ushijima-san.”  
   
 Ushijima nodded. “Pleasure.”  
   
 Iwaizumi glanced at the Sugawara/Oikawa thing going on atop the patio chair, then back to Ushijima. “They do that often?”  
   
 “Yes,” said Ushijima, kind of stiff, but in a natural way. “The three ways were amazing.”  
   
 Oikawa broke his mouth away from Suga. “Someone say three way?”  
   
 Sugawara wiggled off the chair and then threw his arms in the air as he ran over. “Wakatoshimoshiwoshi!” He ran at Ushijima with full force, and when they collided, Ushijima didn’t even move. Just put one arm around him in an awkward half-hug while Suga rubbed his face against Ushijima’s chest.  
   
 “Hello Koushi.”  
   
 “Waka-chan!”  
   
 “Tooru.”  
   
 Oikawa did a flying tackle-hug.  
   
 Again, Ushijima was insurmountable. He stood still as Oikawa hugged him on the other side. He put his other arm around him and gave them both awkward half-hugs. “How are you two?”  
   
 Oikawa smiled and rested his head against Ushijima’s shoulder. “Seven.”  
   
 “What?”  
   
 “Nothing,” murmured Suga. Louder this time, “He’s drunk forget him.” He broke away and grabbed Ushijima’s hand, pulling him along. “I want you to meet Daiiiiichii. He’s my daddy kink boyfriend.”  
   
 Daichi blinked. “What.”  
   
 Suga let go of Ushijima then turned around. He pushed Daichi into the patio chair and climbed on top of him. “Do you want a lap dance, Daddy-chi?”  
   
 Daichi’s cheeks warmed pink then burned red.  
   
 Ushijima cleared his throat. “Lev’s here.”  
   
 Suga got off Daichi, stumbling and almost falling over, and smiled. “Yeah he is!”  
   
 “He got punched in the face,” Ushijima said calmly. “Then the person apologised.” He tilted his head. “And last I saw they were making out quite vigorously.”  
   
 Suga blinked. “What?”  
   
 Oikawa let go of Ushijima and threw his hands in the air. “Woo, go Lev!”  
   
 Sugawara turned around to Daichi. “My baby cousin’s gettin’ some… I wanna get some too. I’m gonna lap your dance so _hard_ , Daddy.”  
   
 Daichi swallowed hard, and fast, and then choked on his own spit. “Let’s not.”  
   
 “What…” Sugawara dropped himself in Daichi’s lap. “You don’t want me, Daddy?”  
   
 “W-Well, y-yeah but—”  
   
 “I’m gonna suck your dick,” whispered Suga in a hot, slurry voice. He made a handjob motion towards his open mouth. “Tooru said, he did say, if you won that practice match, I’m gonna do things… and I’m a good boyfriend, I keep my prosimes… prosimes… psromises. Promises. I keep my promises.”  
   
 “Uh, well….”  
   
 “Am I being naughty? Mmm… spank me, Daddy.”  
   
 Daichi’s eyes widened.  
   
 Suga laughed, suddenly, loud and unconstrained. “Boner!” He looked down at Daichi’s crotch.  
   
 “Koushi.” Ushijima grabbed the back of Suga’s collar and picked him up, like a mother cat picking up a kitten, and moved him over to one of the empty patio chairs.  
   
 “Th-Thanks,” whimpered Daichi, looking away.  
   
 Oikawa laughed and walked over to Iwaizumi. He grabbed his face and stole a quick, messy kiss. “Iwa-chan. Kou-chan said spank.”  
   
 “Yes he did.” Iwaizumi smiled. He was very amused.  
   
 “I should be spanked…” Oikawa laughed even more. “A pretty boy like me… don’t you think?”  
   
 “Maybe,” he admitted.  
   
 “Maybe? Ohhhh. Do you want _me_ to spank _you_. That’s even naughtier… my big bara uke Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “Tooru, I think you’ve had too much to drink. Way too much.”  
   
 Oikawa shook his head. “I can still put a condom on.”  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled even wider. “What the fuck did you even just say?”  
   
 Ushijima cleared his throat. “That is his measure for alcohol: If he cannot put a condom on a penis, he will admit he is too drunk.”  
   
 “Ah.”  
   
 Daichi suddenly squeaked; it made Iwaizumi, Ushijima, and Oikawa all turn.  
   
 Sugawara was back on Daichi’s lap, grinding on it. It wasn’t exactly a lap dance, more like an attempt to grind their crotches together while sitting. Their lips were locked, and Sugawara was making sure both of Daichi’s hands were groping his ass.  
   
 Ushijima looked completely, utterly unphased. “How about I get them some glasses of water?”  
   
 “Good idea,” said Iwaizumi.  
   
 “Oooo, Sushijima—”  
   
 “—What?—”  
   
 “—don’t slip anything into my drink…” Oikawa dropped in Iwaizumi’s lap and put his feet in the air, spreading them in a V fashion. “Then I’ll be all vulnerable, oh nooo.”  
   
 “Yeah,” murmured Iwaizumi, hiding his smile. “You definitely drank too much.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 With about half an hour, they were starting to sober up. The ice water helped, a little. Oikawa sat in Iwaizumi’s lap, until Iwaizumi’s legs hurt (“Are you calling me fat?”, “Yes, now get the fuck off me.”, “Iwa-chan!”). Sugawara still stayed on Daichi’s lap, though. Daichi didn’t seem to mind in the slightest. Ushijima sat by himself, mostly watching the exchanges that happened. Iwaizumi couldn’t tell if he was silent because he was uncomfortable or silent because he was amused. He was… hard to read, in a way. Iwaizumi wasn’t exactly sure of what to make of him.  
   
 “So,” Ushjiima’s voice was smooth, “How long have you two been dating?”  
   
 “Uuum.” Oikawa smiled, pulling his legs up and sitting cross-legged on the wide patio chair. “I guess technically the start of the school year?”  
   
 “Pretty much.” Iwaizumi nodded. “But we knew each other before that. When we were twelve-ish. Eleven?”  
   
 Ushijima glanced over to Sugawara and Daichi. “And you two?”  
   
 “Not long,” Suga admitted with a blush.  
   
 “No.” Daichi shook his head. “But we’ve been crushing on each other for a while.”  
   
 “I’m aware,” admitted Ushijima. It made Sugawara blush, and he didn’t really know why.  
   
 “But they’re a new couple!” said Oikawa, loudly, “Too new to be giving each other lap dances and blowjobs on a stranger’s patio.”  
   
 “Shut up!” Suga grabbed an empty beer bottle and threw it at Oikawa.  
   
 Oikawa yelped, throwing both his arms up in an X shape and feeling the can smack his left elbow. “Ow!” He pouted. “Waka-chan. Do something.”  
   
 “You deserved it.”  
   
 “Iwa-chan. Do something.”  
   
 Iwaizumi just ruffled his hair, messing it up. “You dumb shit.”  
   
 “I’m not dumb! I’m super smart, actually—not that you would know since I give you all the answers. I’m top of my year.”  
   
 Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow. “Really?” He glanced to Suga.  
   
 Suga nodded. “Yeah. He gets top scores on almost everything every single year.”  
   
 Daichi nodded as well, but Oikawa focused on Suga. “Is that jealousy, Kou-chan?”  
   
 Sugawara grabbed another can.  
   
 “I’m kidding!”  
   
 Sugawara put it down, slowly.  
   
 “Hm.” Oikawa pouted. “Why are people picking on me?”  
   
 Iwaizumi faked a mean little sneer. “I wonder why.”  
   
 Oikawa pouted even more, though his lips struggled to keep the warm smiles hidden.  
   
 Ushijima laughed; it was only a chuckle, but still a laugh. Iwaizumi noted, from Oikawa’s and Suga’s reaction, that it must have been a rare sight. Ushijima smiled. It looked crooked compared to other people’s smiles, but it seemed to fit… him. In a way. “I see why Tooru’s so taken with you, Iwaizumi-san.”  
   
 Iwaizumi blinked. “Huh?”  
   
 “Lots of people see Tooru as a fantastic Godsend. I’m not insulting him, but they idealise him. Put him on a pedestal. With all his fans and everything, so many people worship the ground he walks on… but I think Tooru prefers people who do not let him have it that easy. I think, anyway. He’s a bit of a masochist. Despite how much he talks about his ‘good looks and charm’, and how easily he can get by on it, he likes it when people call him out on his shit.”  
   
  _“I’m sure you know, Iwa-chan…”_ Oikawa’s voice resounded in his ears, _“No point beating around the bush, especially since I shave. I have some, self-destructive tendencies. Sometimes my biggest enemy is really, just… me. But I feel safe when I’m with you.”_  
   
 Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow.  
   
 Oikawa stayed silent.  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled. “He wasn’t always pretty, you know.”  
   
 Oikawa blinked. “What? Yes I was. Born and raised gorgeous and flawless.”  
   
 Iwaizumi pulled out his phone. “Here,” he said as he offered it to Ushijima.  
   
 Oikawa blinked. “What?”  
   
 Ushijima grabbed the phone and both his eyebrows shot up. “Wow, his hair was awful.” He tilted his head. “When was this?”  
   
 “We were twelve,” said Iwaizumi. “We were at camp, actually.”  
   
 “Oh.”  
   
 Oikawa pouted and made grabby hands. “Lemme see!”  
   
 Ushijima offered the phone to Suga.  
   
 Sugawara took the phone and suddenly laughed, loud (and for a second Iwaizumi didn’t doubt that he and Lev were related). Daichi, sitting underneath Suga, bit his lip, merely whispering an, “Oh God.”  
   
 Oikawa ran over and yanked his phone. He looked at the picture, of back when he was a bit pudgy, and his acne was flaring up, and before he figured out how to make his bedhead presentable. Before he wore cute clothes. Oh no. Oh… no. “Delete this!” He thrust the phone at Iwaizumi. “Delete this right now!”  
   
 “Are you kidding me?”  
   
 “Get rid of this! Let it die!”  
   
 “No way!” Iwaizumi yanked the phone away, almost offended as his face distorted into a deep scowl. In a soft voice he muttered, “It’s my background.” He looked at the picture and smiled. “You were like a pug. So ugly it’s kinda cute.”  
   
 “Hajime!” Oikawa gasped. “Wait.” He tilted his head. “Did you say it was your background?”  
   
 “On my phone, yeah.” Iwaizumi smiled. “Look at us.” He offered the phone, carefully. “Back when we were all cute and innocent.”  
   
 “I wasn’t innocent,” admitted Oikawa with a smirk. “I’m pretty sure I was thinking about choking down your dick back then too, just for your info’.”  
   
 “Tooru.”  
   
 “Sorry.”  
   
 “Just shut up.” Iwaizumi sat down again and patted his knees. Oikawa instinctively took the seat and felt Iwaizumi’s arms wrap around his waist.  
   
 Ushijima watched the exchange with a smile, then let out another laugh. His eyes moved to Sugawara. “So how goes the Sugaspection?”  
   
 Sugawara shrugged. “I’m still deciding. I don’t rush these things.”  
   
 Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow. “Is that the best friend says yes or no thing?”  
   
 “Yeah.” Oikawa nodded. “And it’s easy. He knows the answer. I already gave the green light to Daichi, didn’t I?”  
   
 “Yes, but.” Suga smiled diplomatically. “To be fair, everyone knows Daichi. We’ve been going to the same school for six years.”  
   
 “Okay, yeah… but Iwa-chan’s awesome! Watch this: Hajime, kiss me.”  
   
 “No.”  
   
 Oikawa frowned and slumped against his boyfriend. “Never mind he’s not awesome.”  
   
 Iwaizumi pinched his hips.  
   
 “Ow!”  
   
 Daichi laughed. “You two seem to get along well, though.”  
   
 Ushijima nodded. “About time someone kicked him off his throne.”  
   
 Iwaizumi smirked. “That’s why he’s Prince, not King.”  
   
 Oikawa rolled his eyes. “Shut up… stupid nickname.”  
   
 Ushijima raised an eyebrow. “Nickname?”  
   
 Sugawara leaned forward. “I haven’t heard of this one.”  
   
 Iwaizumi kissed Oikawa’s cheek. “I call him Prince from time to time.”  
   
 “It’s stupid.” Oikawa shrugged. “Because he thinks I’m a gorgeous spoiled brat.” He leaned back and kissed Iwaizumi’s face. “But I’m not a king, though. I don’t know why. I should be!”  
   
 Sugawara grinned. “Prince, huh? Cute.”  
   
 “Iwa-chan, why don’t you go with Toto-chan?”  
   
 “No.”  
   
 “I have nicknames for you too, you know?”  
   
 “Don’t.”  
   
 “Iwa-bear!”  
   
 Iwaizumi glared.  
   
 “Iwa-bara…”  
   
 “Tooru. There’s a pool.” He picked Oikawa up, bridal style, and stood up. “Wanna take a dip?”  
   
 Oikawa yelped. “No, no, no, no, no, no, no!”  
   
 “That’s what I thought.”  
   
 “Stop _manhandling_ me, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “Yeah,” Sugawara said in a cough. “Tooru hates being manhandled. Obviously.”  
   
 Oikawa glared. “Did I ask for your opinion, Train Boy? No. I didn’t ask for it.”  
   
 Ushijima smiled. “We’re still going to give it.”  
   
 “Oh shut up! You two are the worst friends.” Oikawa pouted. “Daichi, back me up here.”  
   
 “Um.” Daichi thought about it. “No.”  
   
 “Gwaaaaaaahh!”  
   
 Sugawara laughed. “Now you sound like Hinata.”  
   
 Iwaizumi couldn’t resist stealing a quick kiss. “Wanna go back inside? It’s getting cold.”  
   
 “Yeah.” Oikawa smiled. “Wanna dance with me, Iwa-chan?”  
   
 “Yes, your highness.”  
   
 “Oh my God shut up.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “Wow.” Oikawa blinked. “Lev’s really going at it.”  
   
 On a couch in front of them, Lev was against another guy. He was shorter, but that might have just been by comparison to Lev’s noodle limbs. They were making out, lips locked firmly on each other, occasional bites and nips, hands sliding against each other’s bodies, hips moving in lewd motions as they moved against each other. A couple people were cheering them on.  
   
 Oikawa laughed but pulled Iwaizumi away.  
   
 Pulled him to dance.  
   
 In the music, the heat, the rhythm, they moved – against each other. Bodies grinding on each other, friction, heat. In rhythm, in flow, in the flash of lights and blasting sounds, Oikawa closed his eyes and moved to the beat. He didn’t care. He didn’t care. He didn’t care. It didn’t matter what happened tomorrow: He didn’t care. His mind was like a thick swamp, black and rotted, boiling with thoughts about the world. For once, he would forget the world. Angel, the thunder, Kenma, Akaashi, Sectin, Blade—forget it. He’d forget it all. Lost in the music, in the rhythm, moving against Iwaizumi (his one stable; his rock) he forgot it all.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “Um. H-Hey.” The shorter guy had met them outside the house since the party was starting to die down around two in the morning. “Here.” He thrust his hand forward, offering something.  
   
 “What?” Lev grabbed it. “Paper? To write on?”  
   
 The short guy frowned, but laughed. “No. It’s… my number.” He stepped on Lev’s foot. “You idiot!”  
   
 “Ow!” Lev grinned, nonetheless. “Awesome! I’ll give you a call!”  
   
 The shorter guy tried to move in for a kiss, but their height difference made it awkward so Lev leaned down and kissed him.  
   
 Oikawa whistled.  
   
 The shorter guy pulled away. “Later, Haiba-san.” He waved once as he left.  
   
 “Bye!” Lev waved a thousand times, then turned around to look at the rest of them. His right eye was still a bit red from getting punched, but he didn’t seem to mind.  
   
 Sugawara eyed his baby cousin for a moment. “What exactly… happened?”  
   
 “Well! We met before, at a book signing actually.” Lev scratched his nose, smiling. “He was at the end of the line, and we were closed, so there was no rush or anything. He asked me to sign his two books—my books, the light novel and then the short stories book. And we talked a bit and he was really cool! And then we bumped into each other here. Except, when I was signing the books, I was sitting, and here I wasn’t, so my first thought was to just yell: Wow, you’re so short! And then Yaku-san just punched me in the face, and then he was like ‘Oh shit, I just punched my favourite writer in the face’, and then I started crying, and then he started crying, and then somehow we started making out.” He grinned. “It was awesome!”  
   
 Ushijima eyed him for a moment. “You haven’t changed much, Haiba-san.”  
   
 Lev beamed with happiness. “Thanks!”  
   
 Iwaizumi smirked. “Not exactly sure that’s a compliment…”  
   
 “What?”  
   
 “Nothing.” Oikawa waved the conversation away. “Come here and hug your Aniki!”  
   
 “Aniki!”  
   
 “Otouto!”  
   
 Sugawara huffed. “Gross.”  
   
 Daichi snorted.  
   
 “Ignore your big cousin,” Oikawa said. “He’s jealous.” He kissed Lev’s cheek. “My little Levu is making out with college boys. That’s a step above me.”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s eye twitched. “Thanks.”  
   
 Oikawa smiled. “You’re very welcome!”  
   
 Lev echoed the statement: “You’re very welcome!” and then laughed.  
   
 Suga sighed. “Should we head back?”  
   
 Oikawa let go of Lev and put a finger up. “One more drink!”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 It ended up being more than one, since Suga poked three cans and shoved them in Oikawa’s mouth after another Aniki! Outouto! bonding moment. They had said their goodbyes to Ushijima, who seemed rather formal with his wishing them well, but Oikawa gave him a nice big hug (and so did Suga). Iwaizumi thought he was a bit awkward, but he liked him. They eventually got on the bus, sitting the same way they did on their way there.  
   
 “He’s such a lightweight,” murmured Iwaizumi. “Isn’t he?”  
   
 “Noooo.” Oikawa shook his head and nuzzled Iwaizumi. “Can we go to your place?”  
   
 “Sure.” Iwaizumi laughed.  
   
 Suga noticed Lev was super busy texting and he nudged him. “Your new booooyfriend, huh?”  
   
 Lev looked up to the ceiling with intense eyes. “Yakuuuu. Yaku. Long ago night.”  
   
 Oikawa looked at him. “What?”  
   
 “With the kanjis it means long ago night, like—”  
   
 But Oikawa stopped paying attention. “Iwa-chan, kisses.”  
   
 Iwaizumi snorted, but definitely gave him kisses.  
   
 Daichi, on the other side, eyed his own boyfriend. “You could have stopped at the second can, you know. He doesn’t handle alcohol well.”  
   
 Suga looked at him and blushed. “Well, yeah, but…”  
   
 Daichi laughed. “You’re so calm and motherly, you know? But when you’re with Oikawa-san you turn into a total child.”  
   
 “Aha, yeah…” Suga felt his cheeks warm up and he scratched his nose the same way Lev did. “We have a strange friendship.”  
   
 Oikawa yelled, “And we have sex sometimes.”  
   
 “Thank you.” Suga closed both his eyes, tight expression on his face. “Thank you for your addition to the conversation, Tooru.”  
   
 “You’re very welcome!”  
   
 Iwaizumi laughed.  
   
 Oikawa nuzzled him. “I had fun.”  
   
 “Me too.”  
   
 Suga grinned. “Yeah.”  
   
 Daichi nodded, big smile on his lips.  
   
 But Lev just whispered, “Yaku, Yaku…”  
   
 Oikawa laughed.  
   
 Lev blinked. “Huh?”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “Iwa-chan, I’m going to your house.”  
   
 “Mhm, you already said that.”  
   
 “Wanna know why?”  
   
 “Why?”  
   
 “Because.” Oikawa nuzzled his boyfriend’s shoulder as he hugged his arm super tight. “I sleep better when I’m with you.” He kissed Iwaizumi’s shoulder. “Next to you.”  
   
 Iwaizumi smirked.  
   
 Iwaizumi had always figured Oikawa, drunk, would be hilarious. He was right. But Oikawa, drunk, was also fucking adorable. He should have known that. They had gotten off the bus and said goodbyes to Suga and Lev, and later to Daichi. They walked home, in the dark. Making their way to Iwaizumi’s house. When they got in Oikawa kissed Iwaizumi’s neck.  
   
 “Let’s fuck.”  
   
 Iwaizumi smirked. “You’re drunk.”  
   
 “So?”  
   
 “I’m not going to fuck you drunk.”  
   
 “What? Yeah you are.” Oikawa threw his arms around Iwaizumi, his big brown eyes blurry and misty with drunkenness. “We’re gonna fuck drunk.”  
   
 “Nuh uh.” Iwaizumi snorted. “You’re going to bed, Prince.”  
   
 “But Prince wants to get fucked…”  
   
 “Maybe tomorrow.”  
   
 “Eighteen seconds.”  
   
 Iwaizumi stifled a laugh. “Come on.” He began pulling Oikawa along. “Let’s get your cute butt to bed.”  
   
 “Very cute butt.” Oikawa let himself be pulled. “You don’t like me…” he murmured as he pulled off his clothes. “That’s why you don’t wanna fuck me.”  
   
 “It’s not like that at all,” he corrected. “And you know that.” He remembered, once, hearing that arguing with a drunk person was a bit like arguing with a child, maybe. “It’s not like that. I just don’t want to take advantage of you.”  
   
 “But Iwa-chan-san…” Oikawa dropped his half-naked body onto the bed and rolled onto his back. Only his undies, he opened his legs wide. “You’re like Moses and my pussy is the red sea. It’ll always be open for you and your chariots but it will—DESTROY THE EGYPTIANS!” He smacked his knees together.  
   
 Iwaizumi stared.  
   
 Oikawa giggled and rolled over. “Not Egyptian-Egyptian. I’m not racist, but it’s a metaphor.” He rolled over again and his wide starry eyes couldn’t keep themselves off his boyfriend. “It’s a metaphor for my enemies, see? Like Moses’ enemies. My enemies could be Egyptian, but I have a feeling they’re probably Japanese, y’know? That’s just more. Statistically likely more.”  
   
 Iwaizumi pulled off his shirt. “Did you call your vagina the Red Sea?”  
   
 “Yeah, except it doesn’t do the red sea anymore.”  
   
 “What?”  
   
 “Menstruation.”  
   
 “Oh.”  
   
 “Haha,” Oikawa laughed. “That’s funny! I don’t men-struate anymore, because I’m a man and I don’t need to.”  
   
 “Alright Tooru.” He slipped under the covers. “You don’t make sense but you don’t have to.”  
   
 Oikawa rolled on top of him, the blanket between them a little bit. “Wanna finger me a little bit?”  
   
 “Tomorrow.”  
   
 “Okay.” Oikawa got up. “I’m gonna go pee.”  
   
 “Have fun.”  
   
 “Later!”  
   
 A couple minutes later, Oikawa fell asleep the minute his head hit the pillow. His pillow, of course, was Iwaizumi. He remembered his train of thought when he first woke up next to Oikawa, after their sleepover. Iwaizumi remembered how Oikawa would relax against him and rest. His soft breathing, soft skin, soft hair… He remembered how little Oikawa actually moved when he was asleep, but he would do little nose nudges against him. Iwaizumi remembered it all, and opened up to let it all happen again. He smiled.  
   
 Oikawa was snoring, lightly, mouth open. There was a bit of drool, it was gross, but Iwaizumi just wiped it off and closed his boyfriend’s mouth. Oikawa nuzzled him and was long gone.  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled. As he cradled his Prince, one thought came across his mind: He wanted to protect this city. His mind went to places—to Angel, to the thunder, to Kozume Kenma, to slugs and toads, to enemies they had fought. He wanted to protect this city.  
   
 But more importantly.  
   
 “I want to protect you.”


	20. Father

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas, or whatever, have an update! This chapter is dedicated to Eevee who I threatened into blackmailing me into writing or else we wouldn't be friends. It was a motivational force. A strong one. 
> 
> Our last update of the year.
> 
> A little early because of my flight tomorrow. I just sent Chapter 21 to the beta, so I'll post that one when I get back home (Jan 1st). The next chapter will probably be a week or so after that just to let me resettle, and then we'll fall into our usual update schedule of once every five days (or so). 
> 
> Hope you guys are enjoying this story as much as I am! And thank you for all your support!
> 
> * * *

 “You know what hurts?”  
   
 “Hm?” Iwaizumi was nestled up against Oikawa, warm, limbs around each other. His arm was numb but he didn’t care. He was just so… It felt so good. To be around Oikawa. He replied in sleepy mumbles, “What hurts?”  
   
 “My head.”  
   
 Iwaizumi opened one eye. The sunlight had slowly filtered into the room. “Your head?”  
   
 “I’m hung over,” Oikawa whined. “As fuck.”  
   
 Iwaizumi laughed. “You drank a lot yesterday, hm?”  
   
 Oikawa opened his eyes and pouted. “It huuurts.”  
   
 “Alright.” Iwaizumi sighed. “Let’s get the day started.” It was a Sunday. “We can shower, have breakfast, get you a couple glasses of water. You’ll feel better.”  
   
 “But… Iwa-chan, kiss me first.”  
   
 “Your breath smells like shit.”  
   
 Oikawa whined, “Iwa-chan…”  
   
 Iwaizumi smirked and gave him a quick kiss. “Come on.”  
   
 “Carry me.”  
   
 Iwaizumi pulled the covers off, chuckling when Oikawa shivered. He got up and poked his boyfriend. “I’ll give you a piggyback ride. Once in a lifetime chance.”  
   
 “I want one.” Oikawa forced himself up and climbed on top of Iwaizumi. Even in his hazy mind, he knew his bare chest was touching Iwaizumi’s bare back. His only thought was that, technically, their scars were touching. He smiled, nuzzling Iwaizumi’s shoulder, kissing the top of the dragon tattoo.  
   
 Iwaizumi pulled him into the bathroom and they headed to the shower, together. They peeled off their clothes and then got in. They were both too tired to be horny (especially after the fun fun fun fun of their previous sexual shower experience; Oikawa’s knees still hurt a little). They brushed their teeth (Iwaizumi and Oikawa both had a toothbrush for themselves at each other’s house now) and eventually got dressed again. Or, well. Iwaizumi got dressed.  
   
 Oikawa stayed with a towel around his waist. “Did we fuck last night?”  
   
 “We tried. You started sneezing. I hit my head.”  
   
 “I mean. Not in the shower. After.”  
   
 “When?”  
   
 “When we got home, I mean.”  
   
 “No.” Iwaizumi smiled. “You were drunk, I wasn’t. Didn’t feel right.”  
   
 “Oh.” Oikawa hummed. “I wouldn’t have minded,” he admitted.  
   
 “Not something I’m comfortable with.” Iwaizumi shrugged.  
   
 “Okay.” Oikawa hummed. “But maybe we’ll fuck later. When my head stops hurting.”  
   
 “Yeah.” Iwaizumi smirked. He was fully dressed now. “Put clothes on.”  
   
 Oikawa made sure he was all dry, hair fluffing up to its usual shape. He decided to put on a pair of boxers, loose boxers. Iwaizumi’s boxers. He glanced to his boyfriend, expecting a reaction. Iwaizumi acted like he didn’t care, but his lips were pursed tight and his eyes were a little too fixated on him to really not care. Oikawa hid back a smirk. “Give me another piggyback ride.”  
   
 “Fine.”  
   
 Oikawa tackled him, almost making them both fall over, but Iwaizumi caught him.  
   
 Iwaizumi sighed. “Why do I put up with you?”  
   
 “Because you love me?”  
   
 “Of course I do.” Iwaizumi leaned back and they kissed. “You’re still a total spoiled brat, Prince.”  
   
 Oikawa laughed.  
   
 Iwaizumi exited his room and thought nothing of the briefcase that was left in the hallway. He walked towards the kitchen, passing the front, thinking nothing of the extra pair of shoes. He eventually got to the kitchen.  
   
 And froze.  
   
 Iwaizumi stared.  
   
 Oikawa stared.  
   
 A third person awkwardly said, “Hi.”  
   
 Iwaizumi blinked. “Dad.”  
   
 Oikawa blinked as well. “Huh.”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s father was smiling, though it was a little forced. “So I uh…” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I stopped by today, to see how you were doing… But you were, asleep, so I…”  
   
 “Why?” asked Iwaizumi, holding eye contact. “I mean. Why are you here?”  
   
 “I just wanted to make sure you were okay and everything.” He cleared his throat. “You’re only seventeen, living by yourself—”  
   
 “—I can manage—”  
   
 “—Never said you couldn’t,” he assured. “I just thought, living by yourself can be hard at first, so I thought it would be a surprise visit.”  
   
 Oikawa, still on Iwaizumi’s back, smiled. “Wow this is awkward.” He had no tact. “Um. Mr. Iwaizumi-san? Have you eaten?”  
   
 “No, actually.”  
   
 “Okay then.” Oikawa jumped off Iwaizumi, hiding behind him. He smacked his boyfriend’s shoulder. “Why doesn’t Hajime make us breakfast… and I can put clothes on, and make a proper introduction!”  
   
 He zipped off.  
   
 Oikawa dove into Iwaizumi’s room, grabbing what clothes he could. He put on a pair of Iwaizumi’s shorts, since it was a hot day and the elastic waistband fit him, and then put on a shirt he had left last time he had come over (and Iwaizumi had even washed it with nice smelling detergent). He put the collar of the shirt to his nose, noting how it smelled like Iwaizumi’s clothes. And that made him giddy.  
   
 But he couldn’t take too long, either.  
   
 He did his best to look relaxed as he walked back in the kitchen. “Hi.”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s dad smiled. “Hi.”  
   
 Iwaizumi seemed to be making breakfast as grumpily as he could. It was almost world record worthy.  
   
 “Iwaizumi Jurou,” his father said as he offered his hand.  
   
 “Jurou? Wow, your mom got busy.”  
   
 Iwaizumi cut a sharp, “Oikawa.”  
   
 “Aha. Kidding!” Oikawa took the hand. “Oikawa Tooru.”  
   
 “Tooru?” Jurou asked with eyebrows knitted together.  
   
 Iwaizumi cleared his throat. “Food.” He put three plates of scrambled eggs, three glasses of water, three bowls of miso soup, and three bowls of rice on the table. There was a lack of garnish or side dishes, but he didn’t care. He just wanted this over. “Eat.” He eyed them. “Don’t talk.”  
   
 Oikawa took a seat, across from Jurou, while Iwaizumi sat at the head of the table between them. “You’re so rude, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “Shut up.”  
   
 “You’re going to get wrinkles really early if you keep being so grumpy.”  
   
 “Mhm.” Iwaizumi took a sip from his water. “Good to know.”  
   
 “So.” Jurou’s eyes lit up. “Are you and Hajime…?”  
   
 Oikawa nodded. “We’re boyfriends.”  
   
 Iwaizumi just ate in silence.  
   
 Jurou smiled as he took a sip of his water. “I figured since, well, I came home, and you were both asleep and…”  
   
 “Aha, yeah.” Oikawa smiled awkwardly.  
   
 “We didn’t…” Iwaizumi didn’t know what he was saying. “I mean… You know.”  
   
 “Okay.” Jurou nodded, ignoring his son’s huff. “I mean, I don’t really get it—but that’s cool.”  
   
 Oikawa looked between them. “What? Don’t get what?”  
   
 “I mean.” Jurou shrugged. “How to two guys, you know… two dicks…”  
   
 “Actually.” Oikawa smiled. “I don’t have a dick.”  
   
 Jurou blinked. “Oh. So what… do you have?” He frowned, then his eyes widened. “Is that too invasive?”  
   
 “No it’s okay, I brought it up. I’ve got a vagina.”  
   
 “Oh.” He tilted his head.  
   
 “I was, ‘born female’, like XX chromosomes. But I’m a guy.”  
   
 “Oh.” Jurou nodded along. Then stopped. “How does that work?”  
   
 Iwaizumi ignored them and slurped his soup loudly so they would remember to shut up and eat.  
   
 Oikawa went on his little spiel he always had prepared, about the whole thing, sex and gender, yadda yadda, things he did and whatnot to get a more masculine body or so, yadda yadda.  
   
 Jurou listened, nodding along. “Cool.”  
   
 Iwaizumi eyed him. “That’s all you have to say?”  
   
 Jurou smiled. “Just make sure you’re using condoms… You use condoms right?”  
   
 “Mhm.” Oikawa nodded, simply not wanting to get into the conversation.  
   
 “Wow.” Jurou eyed him. “The first time I had sex, I was twenty-seven. And.” He pointed at Iwaizumi. “He was born.”  
   
 Oikawa laughed.  
   
 Jurou hummed. “Maybe I should have been born gay.”  
   
 Iwaizumi put his soup down. “Maybe you’re just sad.”  
   
 “Probably.”  
   
 Oikawa forced a smile. “You’re very handsome, Iwaizumi-san. I’m sure it’s just a confidence thing.”  
   
 “Jurou’s fine. And probably.”  
   
 “Tooru.” Iwaizumi glared. “My dad doesn’t need dating advice.”  
   
 There was a sudden moment all three of them remembered Jurou’s wife had passed away.  
   
 It was like a rush of cold air, making them all shiver.  
   
 Oikawa smiled. “Anyway, so are you here for the whole day?”  
   
 “Yeah. I’ve gotta drive back, so latest I can stay is eight or nine at night.”  
   
 Iwaizumi frowned. He glanced to the oven clock. Seven hours. He never liked sleeping into the afternoon, but now he wished they had slept even later. “We have homework.”  
   
 Oikawa kept smiling. “Ah, and we are behind, but I’m sure we can do something—if you don’t mind me tagging along, that is.”  
   
 “Of course not.” Jurou nodded. “I’d like that.”  
   
 Iwaizumi slurped his soup very loudly again.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 It was downtown where they met.  
   
 “Hey.” Daichi smiled.  
   
 Suga went in for a hug. “Hey.”  
   
 Daichi kissed his forehead (and when Suga made a cute little noise, he knew it was the right thing to do). “Smile for me?”  
   
 Suga sighed, giving a little pouty look as he pulled away.  
   
 “Come on. It makes my day when you smile.”  
   
 The corners of Suga’s lips tugged upwards; soon enough, he was grinning from ear to ear. “Shut up.”  
   
 They met outside Suga’s favourite coffee shop, Owl, and they went in.  
   
 “Suga,” Daichi said softly, “Are you okay?”  
   
 Suga looked at him.  
   
 “You just sounded a little… distressed, over the phone. What’s wrong?”  
   
 “Yeah, um.” Suga rubbed his nose. “I’m sorry, I hope I didn’t keep you from anything?”  
   
 “No, actually. I was free. What is it?”  
   
 Sugawara guided Daichi to one of the booths near the back where they could get privacy. They sat across from each other and Suga didn’t notice how he was rubbing his foot against Daichi’s under the table. “Um.”  
   
 Suga didn’t like Daichi worrying… but he kind of liked the fact that someone would worry over him. Was that bad?  
   
 He didn’t know.  
   
 “Um.” He had grabbed two menus on the way and offered one to Daichi. “I guess I’m just feeling a little… pushed to the curb, so to speak.” His eyes narrowed as he looked at nothing in particular. “I don’t know how to explain it…”  
   
 “Pushed to the curb.” Daichi eyed him. “Oikawa?”  
   
 Suga took a deep breath and covered his face with both hands. “That obvious, huh?”  
   
 “A little.” Daichi smiled softly. “You seem a bit off whenever someone mentions his name. And you bring him up a lot, as if he’s always on your mind.”  
   
 “It’s not romantic.”  
   
 “I get that.” He nodded. “Still…”  
   
 “It’s not a bad thing, and he’s not a bad person or anything, and I just…” Suga put his hands down and looked at the different pictures on the menu even if he had memorised every item by now. “I like how he has Iwaizumi now. Like, I know it’s been something like a month or two but… this is the only relationship I think he’s a hundred percent on board? Does that make sense? But… And I like Iwaizumi. He’s a great guy. But it’s just, this is the _fourth_ time Tooru’s either rescheduled or cancelled on me. We don’t even spend lunchtime together. And in the anime club I barely talk to him because…”  
   
 “Because he’s glued to Iwaizumi?”  
   
 “Well, no, actually.” Suga forced a smile. “It might not be as intense as volleyball, but the president – or captain – of a club has a lot to do. And when he’s not being bothered by someone or doing something, he just seems so… _tired_. And that all he wants is Iwaizumi to take care of him. And I get that. I’m glad Iwaizumi’s good at it, but… That used to be my job.”  
   
 “Jealous?”  
   
 A waiter came by and noticed them. “I'm sorry, I didn't realise you were here.” He seemed a little embarrassed. “Has someone taken your order?”  
   
 “It's okay.” Suga smiled. “We kind of snuck in. Can I have a soy latte?”  
   
 “Americano,” added Daichi.  
   
 “And can we get a platter of macaroons,” Suga went on, “And a slice of cake. The strawberry one.”  
   
 The waiter smiled sheepishly. “We just ran out of the strawberry one.”  
   
 “Do you have the green tea one?”  
   
 “Yes! It's our special today, half off if you order a drink.”  
   
 “Great.” Suga smiled again.  
   
 The waiter dipped his head then walked over to the counter to give their orders.  
   
 Daichi eyed him, smiling. “I thought you didn't like sweets.”  
   
 “I love sweets.” Suga sighed. “I just, I don't know, I've put on weight and hng. But I want them today.”  
   
 Daichi nodded. “Back to what we were talking about; you being jealous…”  
   
 Suga eyed him, then nodded slowly. “Yeah. Tooru and I…”  
   
 “You're best friends. It must be hard.”  
   
 “We're more than best friends.”  
   
 Daichi raised his eyebrow. “More?”  
   
 “Not, romantically or anything.” Suga gave a crooked smile. “We often joke we're like brothers – well my mom came up with it, since we're both only childs. Brother doesn't even begin to cover it, though… We mean the world to each other. His family, is, well… a little broken. That… that's an understatement. Basically, my mom practically adopted him. My dad loves him to tears. Even Lev, well… you saw him.”  
   
 Daichi raised his voice three octaves, “Aniki!”  
   
 Suga broke a floodgate of laughter, and then covered his mouth with his hand.  
   
 Daichi chuckled, thinking Suga's laugh was the most beautiful thing in the world.  
   
 “But.” Suga's smile began to break, like cracks spreading through glass. “Now Tooru's… he's, in a way, pushing me aside.”  
   
 They fell into silence.  
   
 Suga's eyes lowered.  
   
 Daichi bit his lip, trying to think of something to say.  
   
 The waiter came back. “A soy latte and an Americano. Just give me a second for the sweets.”  
   
 “No rush,” said Suga. He felt bad. The waiter probably had rushed because he hadn’t seen them at first. What a nice guy. Suga knew he'd give a good tip. Tipping wasn’t customary in Japan, but Suga occasionally just rounded it up to the nearest bill instead of getting change back.  
   
 The waiter put down a plate of macaroons and a slightly larger than average slice of green tea cake. It was a layered cake, with a thin layer of sponge, then a hair thin spread of matcha green tea cream, another layer of sponge, and then a thicker layer of the green tea infused frosting. It was on a plate with two forks and a drizzle of fresh raspberry syrup in a zigzag pattern over it.  
   
 “Thank you.” Suga smiled.  
   
 Daichi smiled as well. “Thanks.”  
   
 “You're most welcome.” He gave another respectful dip of his head, then left.  
   
 They each took a fork and took a bite.  
   
 “Mmm.” Suga closed his eyes as he tasted it. “That's good.”  
   
 Daichi sipped his bitter Americano to wash down the sweetness; the mix of sweet and bitter was perfect. He looked over to Suga, with that beautiful hair, and those kissable cheeks, and the cutest pair of lips, and this… odd mix of confident and shy, this odd mix of forward and backwards. The mystery that had confused and enticed him for so long. Seeing the trouble in his features was almost too hard to watch. “So Tooru.” He would help, any way he could. He made sure of it.  
   
 “Tooru…” Suga's smile faded again. He began subconsciously rubbing his feet against Daichi's as he thought about how to word his problem. He sighed. “It's just…”  
   
 Daichi stayed in silence, listening.  
   
 Suga smiled, softly. “I just want him to stop… ignoring me, I guess. Yes, he has a boyfriend; yes, his boyfriend is amazing and great… But that doesn't mean I want to be ignored. But… at the same time, I kind of have been wondering, that maybe, maybe it's kind of the opposite?” His eyes narrowed, focus on nothing particular, creases forming around his eyes. “A part of me wonders if, like, maybe, maybe I should stop needing his attention so much. Maybe it's me. Maybe it's me becoming too dependent on him, and… But, I mean. I…” He closed his eyes, then opened them again, looking at Daichi. “Maybe I shouldn't need his attention as much as I do. Does that make sense?”  
   
 “It makes sense,” admitted Daichi, a bit warily. He took another sip of his Americano. Bitter. “It makes sense logically, but logic’s generally not the way to go for human interaction, anyway. I mean… Hmm… How do I put this? I can't really understand, I guess. I’ve never had a best friend, never had someone that close to me. But it sounds like a special bond between you and Oikawa-san. It might be something that would hurt you a lot if you just let go of it.”  
   
 Sugawara nodded slowly. He took another bite of the cake, chewing on the yummy sponge slowly. He washed it down with his latte. “A part of it is, Daichi, I… I don't really have other friends besides Tooru. I mean, I do, but they're closer to acquaintance than friend. I know we have a great friendship, but I'm starting to see my pure dependence on him. My need to have him around. And that's not right. It's not right for me – who should function independently as an individual, and it's not fair to him – who should be free to spend time with his boyfriend instead of worrying about me. Maybe it's me. Maybe I need to spend time with other people, to make connections with other people, so it's not just him that I am close to, you know? That's what I fear the most. That it is me. That it is me needing to spend time with other people.”  
   
 “Well.” Daichi smiled, rubbing Suga's feet back. “I wouldn't say no to that…”  
   
 A smile formed on Suga's lips. “Thank you, for coming today… I just felt so.” He sighed. “Shoved off, shafted, just… You know? Like no one cared, I guess. And I have Lev, yeah, but he's going on and on about how _amazing_ it was with Yaku, and I can't get much of a conversation out of him… And even though Lev is great to talk to about this stuff, I know he'd get kind of biased because he loves Tooru so much… And my parents? They can tell right away when I'm hiding something…” His fingers curled around the hot mug. “I just… Thank you.”  
   
 Daichi stole a macaroon and smiled. “You're welcome. I like spending time with you, Suga.”  
   
 “Koushi,” he corrected, a warm red lined burned from one cheek to the other. “Call me Koushi.”  
   
 Daichi's own cheeks warmed into a pink flush, but he smiled. “Koushi.”  
   
 Suga laughed, a little too high pitched, a little too many butterflies in the stomach.  
   
 Daichi ate the macaroon and smiled. “What's a boyfriend for?”  
   
 Suga rubbed his feet against Daichi's, smiling, smiling so wide.  
   
 Daichi loved that smile, that blush, that everything…  
   
 Suga put his feet down and then got out of his seat, slightly, to reach across the table. Daichi did the same, and their lips met – briefly – and they sat back down afterwards, but they were both smiling.  
   
 Suga cleared his throat. “I should also, uh, apologise for my behaviour… last night.”  
   
 Daichi's smile widened. “It was, uh… something to see.” He laughed.  
   
 Suga's eyes widened, worry pouring in. “Yeah?”  
   
 “People always call you an angel, you know, but that's not you.” Daichi took a sip of his drink. “You, drunk and dirty talking like that, it was all I needed to break that image of you. Completely.”  
   
 “Oh God… Oh no… I don't really remember what I said so…”  
   
 Daichi, in a strange way, liked seeing Koushi like this (a little afraid of the truth; a little eager to know it). “I'm too much of a gentleman to repeat it…”  
   
 Suga's eyes widened even further. “Can you… at least, give me some kind of hint as to what I said?”  
   
 “Well, I can say that it uh, involved a couple things: Lap dances, blowjobs, and apparently you have a daddy kink.”  
   
 Suga's voice became the tiniest whisper as he said, _”Oh no.”_ He swallowed hard. “Oh no.” He covered his face with his hands, then made some strange deep whistling noise.  
   
 Daichi's eyes narrowed. “Are you… trying to make train noises?”  
   
 “No, shut up!” Suga said as he continued to try to make train noises.  
   
 Daichi laughed, very very loud.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “Who's Kuroo?”  
   
 The penthouse they were renting was on the top floor of a prestigious condominium complex, known for diplomats around the world having units where they would spend maybe a week or two throughout the year. It was an odd mix of hotel and apartment, but it seemed to work. Sectin owned the most lavished unit, the penthouse, and they were free to use it as they pleased. The flat had several lounge rooms, bedrooms, as well as everything anyone would need: several bathrooms, a kitchen, and its own private elevator so they would never have to wait for anyone.  
   
 It also had a library, where Akaashi had been spending most of his free time relaxing. Now, he was in the library under a duress of stress. Akaashi looked up, slowly. Kuroo. “No one,” he replied with an unnatural darkness to his tone.  
   
 Bokuto paused. Akaashi had always remained in this mysterious monotone – no, not a monotone, but there was an evenness and a musical equality to his tone when he spoke. Now, however, it seemed as though all higher qualities had vanished. “Kenma has been whispering in his sleep. 'Kuroo', 'Kuroo'. Over and over, man.”  
   
 Akaashi bit his lip.  
   
 “Keiji?”  
   
 Akaashi took a deep breath and rubbed his shoulder. “If I can be blunt, Koutarou, I would much rather you did not ask such a thing…”  
   
 Bokuto deflated slowly and pouted. “I can't know?”  
   
 “It's, not that… I would not usually mind telling you.” He put his book down. He got up and walked over to his lover, grabbing his head and pulling him down, so that he could kiss Bokuto’s forehead. “It’s just… a difficult memory. It hurts to think about, that’s all…”  
   
 Bokuto nodded. His dejection disappeared as he understood. He kissed Akaashi’s forehead in return. “So what’s our battle plan?”  
   
 Akaashi broke away. He breathed through his nose and looked around at the many books that surrounded him. “Days have passed, since the last attack. Kenma-san is… mostly alright.” He tapped his chin. He was the second in command, meaning it was his job to lead while Kenma… “As I said, he is mostly alright, if not for his odd sleeping schedule.”  
   
 “He's been sleeping long hours.” Bokuto bit his lip. “And all irregular too.”  
   
 “If his dreams are about Kuroo… it must be relatively restless sleep… no wonder he wakes up exhausted, then.” Akaashi turned back to Bokuto. “From what I understood, Kenma and Shimizu-san both believe there will be a 'calm', so to speak, in terms of the Dark; however, the enemy will be making their move before the next large monster comes. It comes in waves, have you noticed? There is a large battle, then a period of calm, then a large battle, and a period of calm. There are smaller battles in between, of course, however…”  
   
 “However,” interrupted Bokuto, “They're just mindless normal Dark. They're not like the big toad or slug.”  
   
 “Exactly. We've entered a calm stage, but…”  
   
 Bokuto nodded. “The enemy's not just gonna sit tight. There's gonna be some cloak and dagger bullshit during the calm, isn't there?”  
   
 “That is… one way to put it.” Akaashi nodded. “The enemy is still advancing his plans in some way, but he's doing it without attacking.”  
   
 “Skirt gets visited often, doesn't he? By Angel?”  
   
 “Yes.” Akaashi nodded. “I wonder if…” His eyes widened. “Oh.” He tilted his head. “Do you think Angel is trying to… disturb Skirt, in a way?”  
   
 “You mean spook him out? By appearing places?” Bokuto nodded. “I had that thought too. Ever notice the more and more Angel seems to talk to Skirt, the more Skirt has a hard time trusting Blade? I think Angel's making this dichotomy, Keiji, this dichotomy of either 'with us' or 'against us'. And since we're Sectin, we're with Skirt. Skirt's buddies are with Skirt. Angel is obviously not with Skirt, and he's against him. But Blade's not with Skirt, but not against him.”  
   
 “But the more he talks to Angel, I see…” Akaashi crossed his arms. “But, to be fair, Koutarou… we're not exactly sure where Blade stands.”  
   
 “Yeah.” Bokuto hummed. “Well. Shit.”  
   
 Akaashi nodded.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “Yo, Tadashi.”  
   
 Yamaguchi gasped as he looked up. He was sitting on his bed, textbook in his lap. He had been reading some stupid literature for class. He looked up. “How did you get in here?”  
   
 Kuroo dissolved into a stream of black dots and reappeared a foot to the right. “I'm a bit of a trickster, kid.”  
   
 Yamaguchi swallowed hard. “Right.”  
   
 Kuroo leaned over. “So.” He smirked. “How did it feel? To be so powerful?”  
   
 Yamaguchi looked down at his textbook and swallowed hard. “Amazing.”  
   
 “Yeah?”  
   
 “I've… I've always been the kid who was pushed over.” He didn't know why he was spilling his heart out to Kuroo, but he felt like he could trust him. “The one who would read while bullies would rip the pages out of my book… I always dreamed of getting my letter, my sign, pulled into an adventure like the kids in my books did.”  
   
 Kuroo smirked. _Knew it._ “So, what was your adventure like?”  
   
 “To be honest… a lot more gruesome than the stories make it out to be.” Yamaguchi looked up. “But I guess that makes sense: This is reality, after all.”  
   
 Kuroo nodded. “Well, there won't be fighting for a while. But we've still got some actions we need to do.”  
   
 “Like what?”  
   
 “We've got to build our numbers.” Kuroo offered a piece of paper. A picture. Of a student from their school. “I need you to recruit someone.”  
   
 “Okay.” Yamaguchi took the picture. He bit his lip.  
   
 “Just like Angel did you to, got it?”  
   
 Yamaguchi nodded.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Hinata was lying in bed. He thought of the way he could blast fire forward, in a projectile. He frowned. He thought about the fight, over and over, about how many times he'd been pushed back, almost destroyed – killed. It felt sick, in a way. He swallowed hard. His room was surprisingly clean, for once. He had been frustrated by his weakness; and, as such, he took his frustration out on the messy room. He cleaned it, top to bottom, even vacuumed.  
   
 He got out of bed.  
   
 He grabbed his bag and put a few things in it.  
   
 He left his room, walking down the stairs. “Mom, I'm going out!”  
   
 She appeared at the doorway between their living room and kitchen. “And where are you going when you have homework to do?”  
   
 Hinata patted his backpack. “I'm going to study with Tsuki.”  
   
 “Study?”  
   
 “Yeah. Remember, I go seventy-eight percent on my English test. That's because he helped me. It was a lot higher than my previous one!”  
   
 “Yes.” She looked over to where Hinata's previous 32% was laminated, framed, and hung on the wall as a constant reminder. She turned back to him and suddenly smiled. “Go. Go study.”  
   
 “Love you, Mom!”  
   
 A third voice, loud and childlike, yelled, “Shouyou!”  
   
 Hinata turned around and got down. “Hey Natsu, Onii-chan's heading out, okay?”  
   
 “Okay! Get me some candies on the way back, okay?”  
   
 Their mother sighed. “No, Natsu. Those are bad for your teeth!”  
   
 “But!” Natsu faked having tears in her eyes.  
   
 Hinata laughed. “How about I stop by the dentist? They have those sugar free lollipops Natsu loves. Maybe they'll let me take one?”  
   
 Natsu smiled, wide. “You'll get me one, Shou-chan?”  
   
 “I'll _ask._ They might give me one, they might not.”  
   
 “Okay, okay!”  
   
 Their mother smiled. “That's a good idea. Shouyou… you're starting to become pretty dependable, you know?”  
   
 Hinata got up and smiled. “Thanks mom! Love you.” He beamed and then turned back to his little sister, patting her head. “Love you too, Natsu-chan!”  
   
 “Bye, Shou-chan!”  
   
 Hinata waved them off and left.  
   
 He stepped out into the street.  
   
 And made his way to the steps.  
   
 He walked up every single one, thinking about everything. Dependable? He almost hated hearing the word, knowing just how much he relied on Skirt, on Blade, on everyone else. He got up the stairs and then rang the doorbell.  
   
 The door opened, and Akiteru blinked at him before smiling. “Hey Shouyou, come in.” He leaned back. “Kei! Shouyou's here!”  
   
 Tsuki appeared behind the corner. “I didn't invite him.”  
   
 Hinata smiled. “Hey. Sorry.”  
   
 Tsukishima frowned, more out of fear than anger. “Did you just, apologise?”  
   
 “Yeah.”  
   
 “Fine, you can… come in. I guess.”  
   
 Hinata smiled.  
   
   
 Tsukishima's room was nice and orderly. He didn't complain when Hinata sat on his bed, just sat next to him. “What is it?”  
   
 Hinata leaned on him, slightly, liking the warmth of when their skin touched. “I've been thinking. A lot.”  
   
 Tsukishima eyed him. He considered cracking a sharp joke, but didn't. “About?”  
   
 “I want to be… I want to get stronger. A lot stronger. I have people I want to protect, you know?”  
   
 “Not in particular, no. I don’t have people I want to protect.”  
   
 “You're such a liar.” He smiled.  
   
 And Tsuki, though he tried to fight it off, had the smallest of smiles.  
   
 Hinata considered that a victory in itself. “But I get scared, you know? I would feel a lot more… comfortable, I guess, if you went out with me, at night, to train against the Dark. I don't… I don't want to keep relying on Oikawa-senpai. I know he doesn't mind, but there's a point where I gotta be able to stand on my own two feet. I don't want to keep relying on him, or Blade…” He looked at his feet. “I trust Blade, but…”  
   
 “Mm.” Tsuki nodded, slowly. “You don't want Oikawa to freak out and think you're in cahoots or something.”  
   
 Hinata nodded.  
   
 Tsukishima nodded as well. “Fine. I'll help you.”  
   
 Hinata's eyes brightened and sparkled. “Really?”  
   
 Tsukishima felt his cheeks warm and he looked away. “Yeah,” he murmured. “Plus, I… I need to get stronger too.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 They were doing homework together – Oikawa and Iwaizumi. They were in Iwaizumi's room, both of them having their books spread out over Iwaizumi's big wooden desk. They had mostly been working in silence, except when they needed help with something, though usually they talked as little as they could. They could both feel the odd tension between them, and it went on until Iwaizumi couldn't take it anymore.  
   
 Iwaizumi snapped, “Why did you say we could do something? The three of us.”  
   
 “Well.” Oikawa finished the problem he was working on before looking up. “Your father cares, Hajime. It was because he cares. Because he came all this way.”  
   
 “You don't know my family life. You should just stay out of it.”  
   
 Oikawa eyed him for a moment. He looked away, eyes downcast.  
   
 “I'm sorry.” Iwaizumi sighed, shutting his eyes tight. “I'm sorry this is just, really complicated… and, I don't… I don't want to involve you in something so… already messed up.”  
   
 “Your dad's, pretty cool.”  
   
 “Why?” Iwaizumi frowned. “Because he asked you about your testosterone shots?”  
   
 “Yes, that actually is exactly why.” Oikawa frowned. He couldn’t look Iwaizumi in the eyes, not now. He kept staring at his lap. “Don't you see it, Hajime? He cares. At least he cares.”  
   
 “Well who the fuck _cares_ if he cares?” Iwaizumi made sure to keep his voice down, knowing his father was probably just two rooms over. “What good is caring, Tooru? He's a shit father and he's been moving me around again and again for his shitty work.”  
   
 “Oh,” Oikawa said with mock sincerity, “How dare your parent have a career, a life.”  
   
 “Look, you don't know the whole picture, but caring isn't enough. And you're a dumbass if you think it is.”  
   
 “You say that, but…” Oikawa looked away, glancing to the other side of the room.  
   
 “But what?” snapped Iwaizumi.  
   
 Oikawa took a deep, shaky breath. “At least he cares.”  
   
 Iwaizumi paused, all anger fading. “Tooru are you… are you crying?”  
   
 “No!” Oikawa said defensively. His eyes were watering. “My mom…” His gaze returned to his lap, so he was staring straight down. “Just forget it.” He tried to do the next question, but it was bugging him. In a way, he knew he had to say it now that he had brought it up. It would keep bugging him. And it was such a closely guarded secret, that it was begging to be told, ripping at the seams, clawing with its fingernails to get out of the six feet under dirt. Oikawa took a deep breath. His heart pounded in his ear. “I bought heroin, once. I was fourteen.”  
   
 Iwaizumi's eyes narrowed. “What?”  
   
 “Just shut up. Let me talk.” Oikawa wiped his eyes with his sleeve. He took a deep breath. “I bought it. I went to some sketchy alleyway, I swear I thought I was going to get stabbed… I bought it, so I could put it on the counter, and so my mom would think I was doing drugs. Just so I could get a fucking reaction. She took one look at it and looked away, just didn't fucking care. At all. At first I thought she didn't know what it was, so I told her. She knew. She told me she knew. She doesn't visit me often, but whenever she comes I… She sees her friends, or whatever. She goes out every night. Leaves me. When I told her…”  
   
 Oikawa had to pause, to take a deep breath, pencil in his hand shaking, but he went on:  
   
 “When I told her, I wanted… to be a boy, or when I told her I thought I was a boy, she said okay and kept watching the television. When I tried to explain, she said she understood and shushed me because there was something on the news that was more interesting. Rising gas prices. HRT, hormone replacement therapy, is illegal to give to minors in this prefect. But she did it. Throw money at a problem and it goes away. Whenever she's around, she lets me know that I'm just this… inconvenience. I asked her, once, what she would do if I died. Do you know what she said? Collect my life insurance. Buy a yacht. She already has a yacht.” The pencil in his hand snapped. “She just wants a nicer yacht.”  
   
 Iwaizumi swallowed hard, not daring to speak.  
   
 “She never calls, never asks if I'm okay, never comes by to check in on me. So I'm sorry… I'm sorry, Hajime, if I think a parent, a parent who… might not get the best results, but at least _tries_ is a good person.” Oikawa took another deep breath; he was forcing himself to breathe, to stay calm. “I would rather she hate me, yell at me, hit me, I don't care – I'd rather she hate me than just accept I exist so she does her best to avoid me. So don't you fucking start with me a talk about shitty parenting. Whatever _shit_ you've been through, someone's had it worse, so don't pretend your world is so fucked up that no one can understand, and that you're some tragedy case. As long as your parent is trying – right or wrong – and honestly wants to do their best for you, it could be worse.”  
   
 Iwaizumi stared at him.  
   
 Oikawa kept looking down, breathing coming in shaky notes, hot tears running down his cheeks.  
   
 Iwaizumi felt, distant. Felt removed. He knew it was time to apologise – damn, he knew – but he was left… speechless.  
   
 A breeze entered from the window.  
   
 The bed was tidy, floor spotless.  
   
 Desk had scattered papers.  
   
 Iwaizumi looked at his boyfriend, then looked away.  
   
 Oikawa took another deep breath.  
   
 Iwaizumi closed his eyes, forcing himself to relax, before he opened his eyes. “You're right,” he said softly. “I'm sorry.”  
   
 OIkawa huffed.  
   
 Iwaizumi slowly opened his arms. “Come here.”  
   
 “No!”  
   
 Iwaizumi whispered, “Come on. You're angry, I know, but don't be a shit. Come here.”  
   
 Oikawa moved into his arms, nuzzling his neck. He felt two big strong arms around him and he relaxed. He leaned on him, melted against him. He closed his eyes and waited until his breathing became normal again. “Iwa-bara.”  
   
 Iwaizumi just squeezed him.  
   
 Oikawa smiled, opening one eye. “Not going to say anything?”  
   
 Iwaizumi shook his head. “Not this time.”  
   
 “Iwa-bara.”  
   
 “Okay you used up your freebies, Prince.”  
   
 Oikawa laughed, nuzzling against him. He squeezed his eyes shut, pretending everything was fine, pretending he was okay and that he was in control. Iwaizumi knew exactly what Oikawa would do; but, for once, he let Oikawa pretend. It wasn’t always a bad thing to pretend, if it got him through one more day.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
  _[Iwaizumi Hajime, 5:49pm] Hey, can I ask you something?  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 5:52pm] *Train noises*  
   
 [Iwaizumi Hajime, 5:54pm] Can I ask you a bit about Tooru’s mom?  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 5:55pm] Um. Maybe. Well, why?  
   
 [Iwaizumi Hajime, 5:56pm] He told me a bit about her… the whole thing with the yacht and heroin and all that… I feel like if I asked him, he would tell me more but idk.  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 5:56pm] Idk?  
   
 [Iwaizumi Hajime, 5:56pm] I don’t want to put him through that, I guess.  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 5:57pm] Well I can tell you some stuff, but it’ll be long.  
   
 [Iwaizumi Hajime, 5:57pm] Go for it.  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 5:58pm] Idk where’s the good place to start, but like I said it’ll be long so…  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 5:59pm] People want attention, Iwaizumi. That’s normal. Neglect, in a sense, is a form of abuse. People prefer positive attention (being liked, being cared for) over negative attention (being yelled at, being punished), but anyone will take negative attention over no attention.  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 5:59pm] Hence Tooru and his mom.  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 6:01pm] Teenagers act out, and sometimes for attention, sometimes not. He tried anything and everything to get her to give a shit about him. She never did, never has, never will. She used to, but something changed and I’m not going to discuss that.  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 6:02pm] But what I’m trying to get at is that we almost always scold the kid who’s looking for attention. It doesn’t matter if it’s in elementary school or high school or the workplace. When someone wants attention we see it as a bad thing. We see it as them being selfish and purposefully disruptive, right?  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 6:02pm] But sometimes you have to wonder… what’s going on in that kid’s home that he needs to make such a disruption just to be noticed?  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 6:03pm] I don’t know too much about his mom… I only met her a handful of times. She didn’t seem too interested in me. All I know is she’s cold, distant, and uncaring. She’ll ask questions sort of out of formalities and to feign humanity, in a sense, because that’s what you do.  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 6:03pm] But she doesn’t care. And it’s not that she doesn’t care… it’s that she can’t care.  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 6:03pm] Again, I’m not going into that.  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 6:05pm] But if you want to know what she’s like… just think of the perfect mom archetype, and take the opposite of that. It’s led to all kinds of self-destructive behaviour for him…  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 6:05pm] Idk where I’m going with this, but…  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 6:06pm] Basically as far as anyone’s concerned, Oikawa has two parents: My mom and my dad. Obviously they’re not his biologically parents, but that doesn’t matter. She leaves him for months with enough money to get by and forces him to make his own choices without guidance.  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 6:06pm] Biological*  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 6:07pm] Tooru’s grown up fast in a way, but too fast. He breaks a lot, I guess. He was kind of… all kinds of emotionally ducked up when we first became friends.  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 6:09pm] fucked*. If it weren’t for money, I think Tooru would have been fully legally adopted by my family. I think we all want his mom to fuck the fuck off. Sorry, this is kind of long… idk if anything I’ve said is useful, but that kinds of paints the picture I guess.  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 6:11pm] I already told you before, but whenever his mom comes around I worry for him. I’m not going to tell you what to do, but if his mom’s really coming… keep an eye on him, okay? He needs his space, yeah, but idk. He’s not going to hurt himself again like he used to, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be okay._  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “Iwa-chan's being possessive,” murmured Oikawa.  
   
 Iwaizumi, his father, and Oikawa had later gone to a restaurant. Oikawa had chosen, since he knew the city much better than they did. He chose a high-end Chinese restaurant – or at least, it sounded high end. Iwaizumi was glad to see it had a relaxed, casual atmosphere and nobody had dressed up. The prices were a bit high, but not too pricy. Oikawa, who had been here before, had given them a crash course on what to avoid, and what to go for.  
   
 Iwaizumi nudged his boyfriend. “Sorry,” he murmured in return.  
   
 They were sitting at a small, circular table, evenly spaced.  
   
 Iwaizumi leaned over and kissed his cheek.  
   
 Oikawa laughed. “Stop. I don't want your dad to feel like a third wheel, Hajime.”  
   
 Jurou just smiled. “I'm used to it!”  
   
 Oikawa laughed again. “That's awful.” He smiled. “So what kind of business do you do?”  
   
 Iwaizumi let them talk amongst themselves. His mind was mostly thinking about his texts from Suga. And ones that came after. They were swimming around in his head. All he wanted was to put his arms around Oikawa, but he restrained himself. He wasn't really listening, looking around the restaurant, but one tidbit of conversation caught his attention:  
   
 “So,” Jurou said with a smile, “What are you going to do after high school?”  
   
 Oikawa grinned. “Aha, well, I'm not too sure. Probably going to get some job within the family.”  
   
 Iwaizumi looked at him.  
   
 Jurou nodded. “Hajime mentioned you have really high grades at school? Have you considered university?”  
   
 “I might.” Oikawa nodded. “But it would be on the side of work. Family stuff is going to take priority.”  
   
 Jurou smiled. “Is it a business?”  
   
 “Kind of.”  
   
 Iwaizumi clicked in, “Kind of?”  
   
 Oikawa laughed. “It's a little complicated. I might go to Tokyo, or I might stay here. We'll see. I do plan to go to a university eventually, though. I'm just going to be a little more flexible.”  
   
 “That's a good plan,” Jurou admitted.  
   
 Oikawa glanced over. “What about you, Iwa-chan?”  
   
 “Um.” Iwaizumi shifted. “I'm going to school, for business.”  
   
 “Oooo.” Oikawa nudged him. “I can see you doing that.”  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled. “Yeah?”  
   
 “Yep!”  
   
 Jurou tilted his head. “You two seem very close… for Hajime, anyway. Are you sure you just started dating?”  
   
 The waiters came by, putting dumplings in bamboo steamers on the table.  
   
 “Let's eat!” Oikawa grabbed his chopsticks and began putting some of the many, many dumplings on his plate. The others did the same. “Well, Iwa-chan and I met a long time ago, actually.”  
   
 Iwaizumi added, very grumpily, “Camp.” and focused on the dumplings as he put some on his plate. Mostly the shrimp ones. He didn't like the pork ones that much, but he knew both his dad and Oikawa did.  
   
 “Camp…” Jurou's eyes slowly widened. “Ohhh. I was wondering why Iwa-chan sounded so familiar… I _do_ remember a boy hugging Hajime when we picked him up one year.”  
   
 Oikawa grinned from ear to ear.  
   
 Iwaizumi mumbled, “Shut up.” before putting a dumpling in his mouth.  
   
 Jurou looked at Oikawa. “Wait…”  
   
 Oikawa kept grinning. “Yup! That was me!”  
   
 Jurou's smile widened. “I always wondered about that… Hajime was so… well, I joked about being heartbroken, but maybe that's exactly what it was. He was so heartbroken when he couldn't go anymore. He cried for four days, wouldn't leave his room or talk to anyone. Whenever we tried to talk to him about it he would just say, 'Tooru-chan's waiting for me!' over and over.”  
   
 “Wait.” Oikawa turned to Iwaizumi. _“Tooru-chan?”_  
   
 Iwaizumi sighed. “I said shut up!” He began shoving more dumplings in his mouth.  
   
 Oikawa laughed, loud.  
   
 Jurou's smile faltered for a moment. “I always worried I made the wrong choice… I mean, I didn't have the option to send him to camp unless he took a flight, but… he wanted to go, so bad…”  
   
 “Well,” said Oikawa, softly, “You have to keep your job, and take the promotions that come your way. That's how you keep the money coming in, right? Plus. It all worked out in the end.”  
   
 Jurou smiled. “Yes.” He nodded. “I guess it did.”  
   
 After swallowing his storm of dumplings, Iwaizumi nodded. “I guess it did…”  
   
 “So!” Oikawa tilted his head. “Tell me embarrassing stories about Iwa-chan when he was little.”  
   
 Jurou laughed.  
   
 Iwaizumi glared. “Don't you dare.”  
   
 Jurou smiled. “Just a couple.”  
   
 Iwaizumi shook his head. “No.”  
   
 Oikawa pouted. “Oh come on, please? Just a few baby stories?”  
   
 “Will it…” Iwaizumi felt his throat tighten. “Make you that happy?”  
   
 “Yes,” he whispered.  
   
 Iwaizumi sighed. “Fine.” He hated not being able to say no to Oikawa. Not really. But he wouldn't let Oikawa know that.  
   
 Jurou clasped his hands together. “Well, it's not a baby story… but when Hajime was five, he saw this cartoon where a character licked a metal pole in winter and their tongue got stuck. So Hajime, without wearing his winter jacket or anything, just ran out of the house and ran down the sidewalk to where this big metal pole was and he put his tongue, and it froze.”  
   
 “Oh no,” murmured Oikawa, suppressing a giggle. “What a dumbass.”  
   
 Iwaizumi glared.  
   
 Jurou laughed. “He was a reverse psychology baby. We had to tell him, don't you dare eat your vegetables, and he would eat them all. He would even steal veggies from our plates.”  
   
 Oikawa laughed, clapping excitedly. “What else? What else?”  
   
 “Hmmm, oh, he grew up in a pink room for first few years.”  
   
 Oikawa grinned. “Yeah?”  
   
 Iwaizumi sighed.  
   
 Jurou went on. “Well we were expecting a girl,” he admitted. “The ultrasounds aren't always accurate. There are a lot of false readings. The doctors told us he was a girl, so we painted it light pink – his mom, she was an artist, wonderful beautiful woman,” there was so much warmth in his voice, “She painted these gorgeous sakura in reds and dark pinks over the pink walls. But then he popped out and he was a boy! We decided the sakura painting was so gorgeous and the last thing we needed was a son who wasn't in touch with his 'feminine side', or whatever that meant, so we just left him in the pink room. He loved it, told all his friends, and they were jealous he had such a nice room.”  
   
 Iwaizumi snorted.  
   
 Oikawa was grinning. “My girly Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “Shut up.”  
   
 Jurou smiled. “We weren't exactly, adequately prepared for a boy. I'm not saying it makes that much of a difference, but there are some differences. I mean, did you know you need to cover the baby's penis when changing their diaper? Because Hajime just sprayed everywhere. We had to take a shower every time we changed his diaper.”  
   
 Iwaizumi covered his face with his hands.  
   
 Oikawa burst out laughing, hugging his ribs as he shook.  
   
 “We read online that you should point the baby's penis down, and apparently this is something a lot of parents have trouble with. Anatomy differences.” He shrugged. “Well. I suppose,” he said as he looked at Oikawa, “Not all boys have a penis, but.”  
   
 Oikawa waved it off. “I get it. Oh tell me more about Iwa-chan.”  
   
 Iwaizumi shook his head. “Tooru.”  
   
 Jurou grinned. “Iwaizumi loves beetroot. I don't know if you know that. I still remember when he snuck on the table – he was four – and ate all the beetroot I had cut up and prepared for something I was making. It didn't click that it was beetroot, so we just saw him with a blood red mouth and bloody hands and… I mean, it was just him eating beetroot, but I swear… the shock… it took years from my life.”  
   
 Oikawa laughed even louder.  
   
 Iwaizumi frowned. “Can we just eat?”  
   
 “Okay okay.” Oikawa kissed his cheek. “One more. Make it good!”  
   
 Jurou smiled. “What about the giraffe story?”  
   
 “Giraffe story?” asked Oikawa.  
   
 Iwaizumi frowned. “What giraffe story?” When did he ever meet a giraffe?  
   
 Jurou grinned. “Well, Harumi and I were so proud of our Hajime, because he had very advanced language skills, and he loved to read books about animals, high level stuff. Well, like for fourth graders, but he was in second grade. Anyway, because of all these books, mostly on animals, Hajime decided that of all the animals, the Giraffe was his favourite. So when he used to like something a lot, he would just call it a giraffe. It didn't matter what it was. And he had a very, very short teacher that year (unfortunately so), a little conscious about his height, and so Iwaizumi in the middle of class called him 'Giraffe-sensei', and apparently _the whole class_ was laughing at this poor short man, and he was utterly humiliated.”  
   
 Oikawa put his hands to his mouth while muffling an, “Oh no.”  
   
 Iwaizumi bit his lip. “I don't remember that.”  
   
 “I have his report card from that year. The whole thing is just written so furiously I can barely read any of the kanji.” Jurou laughed. “But oh, he loved giraffes.”  
   
 Iwaizumi cleared his throat. “Can we just, eat?”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “Bye Iwaizumi-san!” Oikawa bowed. “It was nice meeting you!”  
   
 Jurou smiled. “It was nice meeting you too, Tooru.”  
   
 Iwaizumi frowned. “Since when were you two on a first name basis?”  
   
 Oikawa just smiled.  
   
 Jurou turned to his son. “Keep in touch, okay?”  
   
 Iwaizumi struggled out a, “Yeah.”  
   
 Jurou had never seen someone open up his son as much as Oikawa had. He nudged him, muttering a small “Good job” before leaving.  
   
 They waved him off, watching him pull out of the small driveway and drive off.  
   
 They went back inside and Iwaizumi closed his eyes. “That was embarrassing.”  
   
 “I had fun! Was it so bad?”  
   
 Iwaizumi made a pained noise.  
   
 Oikawa laughed. “Piggy back!” He ran, jumping at his boyfriend's back muscles.  
   
 “Oof!” Iwaizumi barely caught his footing. He was about to yell but he felt Oikawa leave gentle, sweet kisses on his neck.  
   
 “I love you, Hajime.”  
   
 “I love you too, Prince.”  
   
 Oikawa squeezed him tight.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Later that night, while they slept next to one another, Iwaizumi found himself staying awake longer than his boyfriend. He hummed a soft melody to himself, one his mother used to sing. He was thinking back to his thoughts last night. I want to protect you, that's what he said but. But. Sugawara had said words too. _He’s not going to hurt himself again like he used to, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be okay._. He wanted to protect Tooru, no doubt. Although, now it seemed a little less simple, a little more worrying. He realised failure was possible, and he could fail. That thought, though it brought fear, also made him realise just how determined he was to make sure his Prince was safe.


	21. Shatter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pew pew, motherfuckers~ Happy new year! So January will have the same amount of updates as the last few months, but they're going to be somewhat irregular. Just think of it as, uh, surprise chapters. Or something. 8D
> 
> But more importantly, **what the fresh fuck?** Nikooki drew [Fanart of Fox!Hinata](http://nikooki.tumblr.com/post/135898428458/a-smol-draw-for-remembrance123-merry-christmas) and it is absolutely gorgeous. Stop what you're doing and check - that - shit - out!
> 
> EDIT: I also apologise for late replies to comments here on AO3 and asks on tumblr. Holidays were hectic, bUT I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS SO MUCH. Q.Q
> 
> Hope you enjoy Chapter 21: Shatter~
> 
> * * *

He was a blur through the night, a chasing light ripping through darkness. He whirled, like cherry blossoms fluttering in the wind, a new beginning, bright and colourful, for just a moment – would he be gone the next? Winter took everything, after all. He swirled, digging his chainsaw into one of the beasts. He couldn’t fail. He couldn’t run away. He had to keep fighting. Until his last breath, until the end—he’d keep fighting. His gun blasted monsters out of existence, blade slicing things to shreds.  
   
 They were winged creatures.  
   
 He hated flyers.  
   
 Blades poured from the sky.  
   
 Oikawa didn’t even whine about getting help; he needed it, after all. He hated it – _hated_ it, down to his very bones. But he needed it. And maybe that was why he hated it so vehemently. It was like acid on his skin, knowing he needed Blade. But he danced, shooting and spinning his body, rifle and chainsaw in a _kata_ of motion – a battle dance. He’d yell at Blade later, but for now…  
   
 A week had passed.  
   
 It had clicked, at once, for them all, that they needed to get stronger.  
   
 It was only now Oikawa realised just how much stronger they had gotten.  
   
 Tsukishima had come out on the field almost daily. When the rings around his staff chimed, water poured down from the sky. Holy rain. It burned away the small fry and weakened the bigger ones. Tsuki’s array of spells was growing, arsenal expanding.  
   
 Hinata was blasting fire, large spheres and little ones, variation. His speed and agility were quickening, as were his reaction times. He began to follow his body’s natural reflexes into battle, dodging attacks that would have hit him for sure only a short while ago. He was growing exponentially.  
   
 It was horrifying.  
   
 It terrified Oikawa.  
   
 Blade summoned his two handed blade, the big one that he could barely hold, and spun his body before throwing it like a boomerang. It made a deep vorpal noise in the air as it thrashed through the flyers before landing in his palms again. He, too, was getting stronger, becoming more versatile, stronger, smarter, better.  
   
 Oikawa watched the horrors of the three of them. Power always horrified him. But one thing shouted horror more than the others, and that was the train of thought that inevitably crossed his mind: _Am I falling behind?_  
   
 No.  
   
 He had to chase through the night, kill more, push himself further. He had to catch up.  
   
  _Even Hinata and Tsukishima will become my enemies at this rate. I have to be the strongest to control the sector. I have to be the strongest. I have to be—the strongest._  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes snapped open. He felt a poke to his side. He was in his classroom. For a second he thought he had fallen asleep during class, but then he realised the lecture hadn’t started yet. Yes. That was right. After last night he had barely slept, and grudgingly dragged his feet to school earlier than usual since there wasn’t much else to do and he was already awake. The sun was bright, blinding almost. “What time is it,” he mumbled a question, sort of.  
   
 Sugawara, sitting in the seat next to Oikawa, laughed. “Good morning, Tooru. Class doesn’t start for another few minutes.”  
   
 Iwaizumi, who just walked in, laughed as well. “You look like shit.”  
   
 “Mm.” Oikawa faked a pout. He probably did. He laughed as well. “Yeah.” He noticed Takeda-sensei was already at the front, setting up for homeroom. “I got up early to get an omelette from the yummy place next to Owl!”  
   
 Sugawara got out of Iwaizumi’s seat; there was a small exchange of thanks and no problem before Suga looked at Oikawa. “Yeah?”  
   
 “Mhm.” Oikawa nodded. “Breakfast is super important! Gives you the energy for the whole day!”  
   
 Iwaizumi snorted as he put his bag down. “You just fell asleep.”  
   
 “Well yes.” Oikawa pouted. “Did you have breakfast, Iwa-chan?”  
   
 “I skipped.”  
   
 Suga smiled. “Same, was running late.”  
   
 Oikawa gasped. He leaned his head back so he could see past them. “Daichi!”  
   
 Daichi, having just got to class, looked up. “Yes?”  
   
 “Did you have breakfast?”  
   
 “I forgot. Didn’t have time.”  
   
 Oikawa gasped. “But breakfast is important.” He looked forward. “Sensei! Breakfast is important right?”  
   
 Takeda smiled. “Of course it is, Tooru.”  
   
 “You had a healthy breakfast, right?”  
   
 “Me? Ah, well…”  
   
 “You didn’t skip, did you?”  
   
 “No, I didn’t!”  
   
 “And it was super healthy, right?”  
   
 “Well.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I had a cigarette…”  
   
 Oikawa gasped.  
   
 Iwaizumi and Suga chuckled together.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 At lunch, Iwaizumi seemed distracted. But that was okay, because Oikawa seemed distracted too. Iwaizumi was pretty okay with distracted silence, but every once in a while Oikawa wanted to feed Iwaizumi something from the bento he bought. Oikawa seemed almost obsessed with feeding his boyfriend, now that he thought about it. He’d been doing it since day one. Anyway, he let it happen.  
   
 “Yum yum,” Oikawa said as he fed Iwaizumi some spinach that had a drizzle of sesame sauce and soy sauce over it. “Do you want some curry bread? I bought some of that too.”  
   
 “I’m good.” Iwaizumi laughed. “I’m full. What about you?” He grabbed a piece of chicken between his chopsticks and offered it to Oikawa.  
   
 Oikawa ate it and smiled. He wanted this to last forever; yet, something told him…  
   
  _Why does it feel like it’s all going to come to an end?_  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Oikawa Tooru had a lot of reckless tendencies. Not all of them were bad. Most were. But some were… well, not bad. Maybe neutral. During P.E. class, they were running in a nearby park. Oikawa had brought his shorts from a couple years ago that were a bit too small, bit too short, bit too tight for him. While they were running, he noticed their gym teacher was more on his phone than watching them run laps. So Oikawa grabbed Iwaizumi and pulled him aside.  
   
 “What the fuck are you–?”  
   
 “Shh.” Oikawa pulled him in a little alcove of trees and bushes. He pushed him against one of the trees and pressed their mouths together.  
   
 Iwaizumi grabbed Oikawa’s hips, instinctively, then moved his mouth away. “What do you think you’re doing?”  
   
 “I just.” Oikawa felt fear race through him. “I just. Want to feel you close to me right now, okay Hajime?” Something told him this was the end, his last chance, and he wanted it – needed it.  
   
 Iwaizumi kissed him, turning him over so he could press Oikawa against the tree. He pressed their bodies tight against each other. They were both already breathing heavy from the laps and they were ahead of the class. It was only when the rest of the class (signaled by the heavy voices and footsteps coming their way) started catching up that Oikawa grabbed Iwaizumi and dove into the bushes. They both mumbled ows, but neither of them were really hurt.  
   
 Iwaizumi frowned. “Okay that’s enough. We’re going to get caught.”  
   
 “Get caught, huh?” Oikawa smirked. It was a dangerous smirk.  
   
 Iwaizumi felt the little thrill in his chest. “Don’t you dare… I don’t know what you’re thinking, but don’t you dare.”  
   
 “Come on…” Oikawa climbed on top of Iwaizumi. “I want to feel you, inside me, again. Just a quickie, okay? Just get off as fast as you can. Come on…”  
   
 Another group of students ran by, but they were well covered.  
   
 Iwaizumi glared. He was already hard beneath Oikawa. He knew Oikawa knew, and that in itself meant he had a one way ticket to doing it anyway. “Alright. Fine. But quick!”  
   
 “Yeah.” Oikawa pulled his shorts down enough.  
   
 Iwaizumi did the same, his cock bouncing up once freed.  
   
 Oikawa grabbed Iwaizumi’s cock, so warm, so hard. He stroked it before positioning it over himself. He lowered himself, quickly—maybe a bit too quick—on it and gasped.  
   
 Iwaizumi closed his eyes and bit his lip so he wouldn’t make a noise. Oikawa was fucking _soaked_ and he knew it. Iwaizumi began thrusting, up and down, up and down. Oikawa matched his movements, his own hand over his clit, rubbing it in circles as he felt Iwaizumi move deeper and deeper inside him. It was desperate and needy, everything Oikawa needed. He moved his head down, kissing Iwaizumi.  
   
 Iwaizumi kissed back, hands firmly on Oikawa, pushing him up and down in reverse of his hips moving the same direction. The tight, hot wet friction around his cock was amazing. He purred and moaned into the kiss, desperately thrusting as fast as he could. He only focused on getting himself off, as Oikawa was doing. He didn’t know how long he would last but it seemed it would be longer than last time (which probably wasn’t a good thing—considering where they were)  
   
 Another group of students ran by.  
   
 Oikawa became tight, squeezing on the cock inside him, maybe out of fear, maybe out of thrill, maybe out of everything. He broke the kiss and whimpered. “Iwa-chan…”  
   
 “Shut up,” hissed Iwaizumi. “Don’t say something stupid now.” He was slamming his hips against Oikawa’s now, and it was making a noise. If another group of students walked by—they _would_ hear it.  
   
 “Mmm, you feel so good,” whimpered Oikawa. “Do you like me…? Do you like my body?”  
   
 “Fuck yes!” Iwaizumi’s fingernails began digging into his hips and he grunted. Through gritted teeth, his voice was heated – burning – as he said, “God, I love you, I love your tight little cunt.”  
   
 Oikawa gasped, feeling his body tighten against Iwaizumi’s cock. He screwed his eyes shut, forcing a hand over his mouth as he wiggled, muffled a scream. His toes tightened, body tightened, wiggling, shaking.  
   
 And Iwaizumi knew, as Oikawa became so incredibly tight, that he had cum. He smirked, knowing his words did that. He kept fucking him, kept thrusting into that heat. “Tooru… I’m gonna…”  
   
 “Not inside,” Oikawa managed to whisper.  
   
 Iwaizumi blinked. “No? But…” It felt so good last time, felt so right…  
   
 “I want you to,” he admitted, remembering how nice it was to be pumped full of hot white, feeling it trickle out of him, warm in his most intimate area, but… “It’s gonna leak out… on my uniform…”  
   
 “Right.” Iwaizumi barely registered the logic. “Fuck!”  
   
 Oikawa moved off the cock; he grabbed it, stroking it as fast as he could. He watched his boyfriend squirm under him, until Iwaizumi came, shooting hot cum in thick strands.  
   
 Oikawa pulled out some tissues (“You came prepared for this, didn’t you?”, “Of course, Iwa-chan.”) and cleaned them off. They hurried to put their clothes back on then began running to where the rest of the class seemed to be almost waiting for them.  
   
 The gym teacher frowned. “You’re late.”  
   
 Oikawa smiled. “We ran an extra lap since we were ahead of everyone.”  
   
 Iwaizumi nodded.  
   
 By how much they were sweating—no one was the wiser.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Sugawara sighed as he watched them. They were at the anime club now. They had watched the episode of the day and the club had voted to watch one more. Sugawara was refilling a plate of cookies, eyeing Iwaizumi and Oikawa. Oikawa was sitting on his lap. They seemed, inseparable today. More than usual. They both had a warm kind of glow around them. Or maybe that was just the way Sugawara was seeing it. It was starting again, he realised. A flood. A river of black water that came from time to time between Oikawa and him. Cold and acidic, creepy and sluggish. It was a river that held it all.  
   
 Anger. Jealousy. Need. Affection. Hate.  
   
 Sugawara shook his head, trying to fight it off.  
   
  _I just, I want my best friend back._  
   
 Sugawara closed his eyes. _Maybe it's me. Maybe it's me becoming too dependent on him_. Maybe Suga just needed space from him.  
   
 “Um.”  
   
 Sugawara looked up. “Yamaguchi-san.”  
   
 Yamaguchi smiled. “Sugawara-senpai, could I talk to you about something?  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Tsukishima raised his staff. A sphere of water was small in his hand, but he began to charge it up. The globe swirled and made strange, underwater noises. It began to grow and grow, until it was the size of his hand, then double that. His eyes were focused.  
   
 The door opened.  
   
 “Kei?” Akiteru asked. “What are you up to now?”  
   
 “Powering up the ward,” he murmured. “I have to do it weekly.”  
   
 “Oh. Okay. Hinata’s here.”  
   
 Tsukishima waited until the globe grew again. “Tell him I’ll be there in a sec. He can wait in my room.”  
   
   
 Hinata did wait in his room. He looked at the little dinosaur toys and he thought they were adorable as fuck. Tsuki totally had a cute side to him, and Hinata wanted to explore it. He sat down, on Tsuki’s bed. He noticed the sweater Tsuki was wearing at school today was on his bed. He grabbed it, slowly, and hugged it. It was still a little warm. He brought it up, noting how it smelled like Tsuki. He hugged it again, knowing he was pathetic to do so, but he wanted to. When he heard footsteps coming up, he put the sweater back and waited. Even though it was so nice against him, he didn’t want Tsuki to think he was weird. Though he probably already did think he was weird.  
   
 The door opened.  
   
 Tsukishima walked in, with a glass of lemonade. He needed it since it had sugars and salts, packed with vitamins and whatnot. He needed to recharge after powering the aura. “You like fizzy things right?” He offered a can of something or the other. “Here. It’s fizzy.”  
   
 “Fizzy!” Hinata raised his arms victoriously before taking it. “Thank you Tsuki!”  
   
 “Don’t call me Tsuki.” He sat on the chair of his desk and spun to face Hinata. “I don’t know if you like it or not it’s just the only thing I saw.”  
   
 “It’s good! I love this stuff.” He opened the top and took a sip. Mmmm. Artificial raspberry. His favourite. “It’s like we’re on a date…”  
   
 Tsuki laughed, actually laughed.  
   
 Hinata pouted. “I wasn’t joking, you know…”  
   
 “I’ll take you on a real date, if you want one…”  
   
 Hinata looked at him, eyes wide. “Yeah?”  
   
 Tsukishima felt something warm and giddy inside him. It was kind of gross. But if it was Hinata… maybe it wasn’t so bad. He liked Hinata’s energy, longed for it, longed for that warmth, for the hand that was always extended his way – no matter how much he avoided it and pushed Hinata away. “But.” He paused for a moment. “One thing you have to promise me.”  
   
 “What’s that?”  
   
 “Don’t call me Tsuki.”  
   
 “But Yamaguchi gets to do it!”  
   
 “Yamaguchi’s my best friend. Of course he can call me things you can’t.”  
   
 “Then what do I call you?”  
   
 Tsukishima paused for a moment before muttering, “Kei.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “Kenma…” Kuroo had his hands to the sky as the dark clouds began to roll in. “Kenma, Kenma… you made such a mistake coming here…” He almost looked sad, eyes feeling heavy. He closed his eyes. The darkness gathered around him. “I wish you didn’t have to suffer… but I have to break you… I will break you.” A feral streak, unnatural and not his, ran through him. He had no choice. He would break Kenma, no matter the cost. He had his orders, of course. As long as he followed his orders, he would… He would follow his orders. He couldn’t add an ‘or else’ because Kuroo Tetsuro had no alternatives. He physically could not deny his orders.  
   
 Kuroo opened his eyes. “And you, Tooru.” He lowered his hands and looked forward, across the skyline of Yokohama. “You feel it don’t you?” He tilted his head. “The leader must be the strongest… That’s what your mother taught you. That wretched whore is wrong, and you know it. A leader only needs trust and loyalty. Strength is only one way to get those two things. But it’s the easiest way.”  
   
 He closed his eyes again.  
   
 “But you were raised by her hollow heart and broken brain… you’ve internalised it, Tooru, whether you know it or not. Fight against her influence as much as you can – I beg you to – but it’s so deeply ingrained in you. Her automatic processes, her scripts, are your scripts. You run her program. You’re not strong enough to fight back, to change it, not yet. And you won’t be, not until it’s too late. That much is a fact we have to face.”  
   
 Kuroo sighed thinking back.  
   
 Loyalty and trust made a good leader… and strength was the easiest way to get those two.  
   
 “And my followers,” he murmured as he thought of Angel, of Corpse—Yamaguchi. “I’ll show them my strength, and they won’t question me any longer…” He raised his hands. His eyes were filled with tears as he realised he was on the verge of destroying his city – his hometown. But he had no choice. He would follow orders.  
   
 He let out a laugh, manic and insane, and it echoed through the city.  
   
 In the pit—a small government protected natural park that was surrounded by looming office buildings—a spurge of darkness began to blast from the ground, unleashing in liquid form like a fountain. “Come on, Tooru. What will you do now? Let’s see it. My master has predicted, here, you’ll see your breakpoint. You’ll cease to be human. Your kindness will no longer function. Will you, too, become a demon and machine, heartless like your mother? Put on a show, Tooru. Put on a show.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 The dark roar echoed through the city. Only few could hear it, but it didn’t matter. The clouds went from light gray to black in the matter of seconds. Rain and thunder blasted down, but they were the normal kind—not the controlled lightning. The Lights all advanced to the centre of the source of chaos. Darkness called the Light forward, as Light calls the Dark. And so they moved. Skirt’s gun was raised to the sky and he let out a flare. It wasn’t necessary, but it couldn’t hurt.  
   
 Iwaizumi examined him closely as they both jumped from rooftop to rooftop, advancing to the enemy.  
   
 Skirt’s gun had modes. The gun had a line running through. When it was glowing bright blue, it was going to shoot the usual photon bullets. When it was glowing bright green, it was a harmless flare (though it would be problematic for Skirt’s enemies). It had glowed red, once, Iwaizumi remembered, but he never knew what that colour meant.  
   
  _Oikawa landed on the ground and readied his rifle. “Hm.” He flicked something on his rifle and the line of bright blue changed to bright red.  
    
 Blade turned to him. “What’s that?”  
   
 “My special attack.”  
   
 “Special?”  
   
 “Like a combo finisher.”  
   
 Blade scowled. “This isn’t some video game.”  
   
 “I know that—but it’s good to have something up my sleeve. Everyone should have something.”_  
   
 Skirt stopped his advance and paused. His mask was on, vertical.  
   
 Fox, Staff, and Rod joined them as well, all wearing horizontal masks.  
   
 Iwaizumi looked down to the pit, his own vertical mask on him.  
   
 There didn’t seem to be a huge monster like last time; rather, it seemed to be an absolute swarm of the usual kinds. The numbers of them must have easily hit four digits, if not five.  
   
 Iwaizumi looked around. “No sign of Angel or thunder.”  
   
 “Yeah.” Skirt nodded. “They could appear at any moment. Be vigilant. And remember not to trust anyone too much.”  
   
 Iwaizumi raised his eyebrow. “Are you talking about me?”  
   
 “Yes,” Skirt admitted. “Remember, team, not to trust Blade too much.” He swung his hand and butterfly wings bloomed out of his back; his skirt ruffled with the movement. “Let’s go!” He ran along the rooftop and dove down. His gun, back to blue, began firing several beams of photon, aiming for the big ones and taking out little ones in the process.  
   
 “I hate you,” murmured Iwaizumi before jumping as well. His storm of blades was a slaughter fest.  
   
 Fox, Staff, and Rod joined them as well.  
   
 It was an all-out war. Fire burned, water crushed, ice destroyed, light blinded, darkness damaged—everyone moved, devolving into mass murder of these creatures. When a large crocodile looking beast with eight eyes opened its mouth, ready to snap its jaw—Fox launched a massive fireball into its throat, watching it explode from the inside. Staff yelled at him to watch out and created a barrier to protect him from the little ones.  
   
 Rod, which Iwaizumi had never thought of, was considerably notable as well. With one massive pillar of ice, he swung it horizontally in large sweeping attacks to destroy the beasts by the dozens. He was always aware of what was behind him (and Iwaizumi realised, it was because the ice was like a mirror, giving him reflections of his every surrounding). He was able to stay calm, collected, and cool.  
   
 Iwaizumi realised he just punned.  
   
 He twisted his body, summoning his two handed blade and throwing it in a violent arc. He knew he slaughtered at least five of the big ones in one blow and he smirked.  
   
 Skirt twirled and fired.  
   
 The beam blitzed right next to Iwaizumi’s head, making his eyes widen in terror.  
   
 It hit a creature in front of him.  
   
 Iwaizumi turned around. “Are you trying to hit me?”  
   
 Skirt ran his chainsaw effortlessly through a creature and fired at another. “Maybe,” he said in a teasing tone.  
   
 Fox growled  
   
 Iwaizumi glared. And Skirt glared back. They suddenly dove at each other, blades against chainsaw – with a storm of monsters whirling around them. They shoved off each other and got ready for the next strike, but—  
   
 “Knock it off, Senpai!” Fox threw himself between them, flaring at Skirt.  
   
 Skirt jumped over Fox and ran forward, with the momentum he swung hard and fast, shattering both of Iwaizumi’s weapons. His chainsaw revved up and he slammed it into Iwaizumi’s side, grinding through the metal armor until he got to skin.  
   
 Iwaizumi screamed and disappeared into black dust before rematerialising a foot away. He cupped his side and growled, a new weapon in his other hand.  
   
 Skirt jumped up and brought his chainsaw down.  
   
 Iwaizumi dove forward and spun, gaining force as he deflected Skirt’s blade.  
   
 Skirt was thrown back and he back flipped in the air. But when he brought his gun up, his face was calm and focused. His finger curled around the trigger.  
   
 He fired.  
   
 Iwaizumi felt the photon bullet rip into his shoulder, blasting out the other side. Another bullet hit his thigh and he fell to his knees, gritting his teeth.  
   
 Skirt landed in front of him. “It ends,” he said calmly, inhumanly. “Now.” His gun began to charge up.  
   
 “Like hell it does.” Iwaizumi grit his teeth and forced himself up; he did two strikes, one horizontal, one vertical.  
   
 Skirt stepped back to dodge the horizontal one, then dove forward (slightly to the side) as he dodged the vertical one. He pushed his gun against Iwaizumi’s chest and released the charge shot.  
   
 Iwaizumi screamed, pathetic and loud, as he was thrown back into the air, he let go of his weapons, losing sense of direction as he spun in the air. He hit the ground with force. His armor, made of the same metal as his blades, had holes where the light was so hot it melted the armor to liquid metal. It dripped off, steam rising, pouring to the ground where it solidified. _He’s not kidding around._ Iwaizumi stepped back. Yes, before Skirt had always been serious, but he wouldn’t go so far as murder… But now. Iwaizumi stepped back. _This really might be it._  
   
 Skirt walked slowly towards him, a strut in his step, putting one foot exactly in front of the other. His weapons were down, but ready. He walked closer. Only twenty steps between them now. “Don’t fight me anymore, Blade.”  
   
 “Hn.” Iwaizumi created an array of swords behind him. He fired them all.  
   
 Skirt’s butterfly wings expanded and flapped once; a strange light mist made all of his weapons miss. He raised his gun again. “Don’t do that.” He fired another shot.  
   
 Iwaizumi felt its force straight on. He was thrown on his back, and his back grinded against the earth from the impact. He tried to get up but his limbs were shaking.  
   
 “I will control this sector,” Skirt said in an impersonal voice. “Alone. I will not have miscreants or unknown factors in my sector.” He squeezed the handles on his weapon; his hands were shaking. “Pledge your oath to me or die!”  
   
 All around them the monsters raged.  
   
 Iwaizumi glared, tasting blood in his mouth. “You… you’re using this whole thing as bait? You knew the monsters would bring me here… You’re using the Dark to distract your team while you deal with me one on one.”  
   
 “Now now.” Skirt raised the gun. “Swear to me or die.”  
   
 “Not happening.”  
   
 “Well, aren’t you bright? You’ve just made your choice.” He raised his gun again. He began to charge up.  
   
 Iwaizumi smirked. At once, he dissolved, appearing behind Skirt. He swung, fast and hard, slashing his back.  
   
 Skirt screamed and was thrown forward; he caught his footing and spun on his heel, firing four shots.  
   
 Iwaizumi dodged and blasted weapons forward.  
   
 Skirt huffed, swatting away the blades with his chainsaw. He dismissed his gun and grabbed his chainsaw with two hands. He growled as he ran forward. He went in for a powerful swing that he hoped would finish it.  
   
 Iwaizumi summoned his two handed blade and also got ready to swing but – blood – pain – crunch – “Ngh!” Skirt’s earlier bullets had wounded his shoulder. He dropped the heavy weapon, defenceless, and took the strike from Skirt.  
   
 Skirt grinned as he thrashed the spinning blade diagonally upwards at his enemy.  
   
 Iwaizumi was thrown back, thrown into an alleyway. He rolled along the ground, feeling blood pour inside his armor. He forced himself up, but fell back to his knees again. This was it, he realised.  
   
 Skirt charged up another shot. “You had your chance to work with me.” He pulled the trigger—fired.  
   
 Iwaizumi closed his eyes.  
   
 He didn’t see the bright flash of orange, or the spinning waters, but he heard the shot and felt nothing.  
   
 Iwaizumi opened his eyes.  
   
 Standing in front of him was Fox, arms stretched outwards. Protecting him. And in front of Fox, was a wall of water. Protecting him.  
   
 Skirt gasped. “What?”  
   
 Staff, appearing behind Skirt, cleared his throat. “Personally I don’t care to be honest. But seeing as how Shouyou threw himself in front of your bullet, your shot wasn’t going anywhere productive. So I blocked it.”  
   
 Iwaizumi froze.  
   
  _Shouyou._  
   
 Iwaizumi looked up at Fox. Then to Staff—who he knew was Tsukishima—  
   
  _Shouyou.  
   
 Hinata._  
   
 Fox was…  
   
 Iwaizumi’s eyes widened.  
   
 “Fox,” called out Skirt. “Move.”  
   
 “No!” Fox, or Hinata, shook his head. “I won’t!”  
   
 Rod appeared behind them as well (and Iwaizumi had never met him, but knew his identity as well). “Fox… Skirt’s the Sector Leader.”  
   
 Hinata shook his head. “I’m not moving.”  
   
 Tsukishima sighed. “Fox!”  
   
 Akiteru’s eyes widened. “Fox!”  
   
 Skirt began charging another shot.  
   
 Hinata stood his ground.  
   
 Iwaizumi closed his eyes. “Fox,” he said, making sure to use the name Hinata assumed he would have, “Thanks… but he’s your leader.”  
   
 Hinata closed his eyes. “No.”  
   
 Skirt pulled the trigger. He fired.  
   
 Tsukishima’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Oika–”  
   
 Iwaizumi yanked Hinata back, moving him behind him. With the last of his energy he formed a ring of blades, a perfect circle—a shield. It shattered on impact, but it was enough to block the strike.  
   
 Hinata, instinctively, grabbed on to Iwaizumi for protection.  
   
 “My my,” Skirt said without humour, “Look at you two. Practically cuddling as you cower together. Leave some room for Jesus wouldn’t you?”  
   
 Hinata said nothing.  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled sadly.  
   
 Skirt cocked his head to the side. “No comebacks?”  
   
 “Thanks, Fox.” Iwaizumi let go and the shards of his broken bladeshield formed under his feet, opening a pool of black darkness. He sunk below—escaping.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “Oikawa!” Hinata yelled, for the first time without any honourific. “What the hell was that for!?”  
   
 Oikawa pushed the barrel of his rifle against Hinata’s head.  
   
 Hinata froze.  
   
 Oikawa eyed him. “Control,” he murmured, “Isn’t easy to get. He’s been shaking the foundation. Your defiance towards me is the proof I need to prove that.”  
   
 Hinata bit his lip. “But…”  
   
 “You see it, don’t you, Shouyou?” Oikawa feigned a smile. “That even without Angel and his lovely band of friends… Blade’s lowered our chance of becoming a Sector.”  
   
 “But…” Hinata looked to the side. “Tsuki! Kei!”  
   
 Tsukishima screwed his eyes shut and shook his head. He opened his eyes slowly, looking to the floor. “If Oikawa had control, Angel may have never appeared. It can seem… cruel—I know. I don’t… I don’t personally like it either. But it’s better to kill one than endanger five.”  
   
 Hinata, becoming resigned, turned his head (as much as he could) to Akiteru. “Not you too.”  
   
 Akiteru sighed. “We’ve given him enough chances if he really wanted to help us.”  
   
 Hinata closed his eyes. He knew it was true.  
   
 Oikawa smiled, sadly. “You don’t have to like it to understand.” He pushed the barrel further against Hinata’s forehead. “Do you understand me?”  
   
 Hinata said nothing, closing his eyes, clenching his fists.  
   
 Tsukishima put a hand on Oikawa’s arm, over the elbow. “He’s our newest member… don’t be so hard on him.”  
   
 Oikawa let his gun dissolve, as did his chainsaw and mask. “I want your full support from now on, do you understand?”  
   
 Hinata sighed. “Yes.”  
   
 “Will you let me kill him next time?”  
   
 Hinata squeezed his eyes shut, as if his eyes being closed wasn’t closed enough. “Yes.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Iwaizumi had escaped to his room. He sat in his jeans, shirtless, on his bed. Fox. Hinata. Staff. Tsukishima. Rod. The other Tsukishima. And Skirt…  
   
 Skirt.  
   
 A memory surfaced, perhaps brought up by Hinata. He remembered, the very first day of this school year, at the anime club—Nishinoya, Hinata, and Yachi had wanted to watch Boku no Pico and  
   
  _Oikawa pointed at them. “Y’all need Jesus.”_  
   
 Iwaizumi’s eyes widened.  
   
  _“My my,” Skirt said without humour, “Look at you two. Practically cuddling as you cower together. Leave some room for Jesus wouldn’t you?”_  
   
 He remembered showing – – – the childhood drawings that – – – had made in camp and  
   
  _”Oh God… let me see.” Oikawa reached a hand out and he gave Oikawa the drawings. Awful. Awful. With eyes that were way too big. Ah, the joys of being eleven and twelve. “These are in pretty good condition… But Jesus these drawings are shitty.”_  
   
 Iwaizumi’s throat tightened.  
   
  _“Shut up! You just want to get close to me!” Skirt grabbed Iwaizumi’s neck then yanked himself away. “Leave!” With some maneuvering, Skirt ended up with his foot on Iwaizumi’s chest. “Some!” Skirt kicked off. “Room for Jesus!”_  
   
 Without thought,  an o t h er     m e mo r  y  
  
   
  _Iwaizumi sighed and began walking to the stairwell. Oikawa, of course, followed. Iwaizumi walked down and then glanced over his shoulder. “I wanted to ask. If you. Could.” He sighed. “Can you, help me study tonight?”  
   
 “Oh you just want to get in my pants.” Oikawa threw his arms around Iwaizumi and kissed his nose. “Of course I can, Iwa-chan… but you’re gonna have to leave some room for Jesus, okay?”_  
   
  
 “Holy fucking…” Iwaizumi lowered his head, running his hands through his hair. His heart was beating like a war drum, eyes becoming too blurry to see anything, ears no longer working. He wasn’t breathing, he knew, but… But… Not knowing what else to say, Iwaizumi whispered the only thing he could think of saying: “Jesus!–”–He dug his fingernails into his skull– _“–Christ!”_


	22. Dates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) Sorry for the late update! They should start coming sooner, now!
> 
> 2) Thank you guys so much, omg. We've broken 500 comments, 300 kudos, 50 bookmarks, and over 6,000 hits! You guys are incredible. Thank you so much, Q.Q please keep supporting me through the chapters!
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> * * *

 “Iwa-chan!”  
   
 Iwaizumi froze, feeling cold. He shivered. His eyes were wide, a bead of sweat running down his temple. His whole body was shaking, heart rate elevated, pupils dilated. He took a deep breath, trying not to let his horror show. He turned his head, slowly – so slowly – towards Oikawa who sat next to him. He didn’t want his horror to show.  
   
 Oikawa had both his feet on his desk, leaning back on the back two legs of his chair. Everyone else had mostly left the classroom. Oikawa had waited for Iwaizumi, who was scribbling the last of the notes their teacher had left on the board. Oikawa smiled, a beautiful smile. “Doing anything after club?” A beautiful, toxic smile. “I’ve got a pussy with your name on it.”  
   
 Breathe. Swallow. Speak. Iwaizumi looked back at his notebook, feeling a strange jolt in his fingertips. He imagined himself twisting – suddenly – lurching his pencil into Oikawa’s (Skirt’s) face. There was so much blood. He blinked. He stared at his notebook. He began writing about Bashou Matsuo. “I’ll pass,” he murmured.  
   
 Oikawa blinked. “What?” He put his feet down. “I mean, we don’t have to… y’know.”  
   
 Iwaizumi did know. “No, it’s not that.” He put his pencil down. “I’m not going to club today.”  
   
 “What?” Oikawa tilted his head. Concern was in every cell of his face. His smile had faded, worry making his brows knit together, causing a small sad face on his lips. “You okay? You’ve been kinda weird all day?”  
   
 “I’m feeling a little… under the weather.” He coughed. “Sick,” he clarified. “I just kind of want to head home.”  
   
 “Drink lots of water, plenty of rest, eat veggies.” Oikawa gave a pout. Then he smiled. A beautiful smile. A beautiful—toxic—smile. “We could do a little bit of a nurse and patient roleplay,” he said with a wink, “If you know what I mean.” Not that there was anything hidden with his teasing tone of voice. “You’ll get lots of kisses.”  
   
 Iwaizumi laughed; he actually laughed. As much as he hated Skirt (but did he hate Oikawa?) the humour still got him. Damn him. “No,” he said. He needed a motive. A reason. “I don’t want you to get sick too.”  
   
 Oikawa smiled at that. “Oh, okay…” He tilted his head. “But you need to get plenty of rest! Now’s not a good time to get sick, Iwa-chan!”  
   
 Iwaizumi frowned. Was there ever a good time to get sick? It was stupid. What the fuck was Skirt talking about? Stupid. Dumbass. He frowned, but noticed he was frowning, and then eased his facial expression. “Yeah,” he agreed. “I will.” He put his notebook and pencil in his bag and stood up. Oikawa did too. He raised his hand, flicking Oikawa’s forehead.  
   
 “Ow!”  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled.  
   
 “You’ve got to kiss it better, you know?”  
   
 “I… don’t want to get you sick.”  
   
 Eventually Iwaizumi walked away; there was a bit too much speed in his walk (but if Oikawa noticed, he said nothing about it). When he turned the corner his walk became a brisk walk, and when he went down the stairs he started running, and when he left the school he began sprinting.  
   
 He charged his way home, slamming the door shut behind him. He pushed his back against the door, breath heavy and heaving. He was sweating, now. He coughed once, twice. He put his hands in his hair. “Fuck!” he whispered. “Fuck…” He closed his eyes, squeezing them shut. He pinched the bridge of his nose.  
   
 It was him. It’s fucking him. Iwaizumi knew it. It had to be. It had to be him. He knew it. He didn’t know how he was so, so blind before… but it was obvious now. It was obvious. Fuck. He took a deep breath, and another. He swallowed a massive gulp of air and let it hang in his lungs for four seconds before letting it out slowly. His eyes, still shut tight, relaxed but stayed closed.  
   
 He sighed.  
   
 He thought of Oikawa’s smile, how warm it was, how it saved him, how it fucked him up, how it ruined him. How it ruined everything. He thought of Oikawa, and he thought of Skirt. What that one person was to Iwaizumi and to Blade… It was like the sun and moon, black and white, oceans and deserts, forests and volcanoes, snowstorms and ashes. Every moment, every memory, was so polar opposite.  
   
 Yet the same.  
   
 He put his head in his hands, forcing himself to keep breathing.  
   
 He thought of Sugawara, the time he wondered if he was Angel. He remembered when both he and Skirt had tested to see if it was Sugawara. He remembered bringing Sugawara and Lev to the shrine, inside the Tsukishima brother’s barrier, with Oikawa. He thought of Tsukishima, and Hinata, and Tsukishima’s older brother.  
   
  _You are destined to never see eye to eye with Skirt on anything,_ Kiyoko had said.  
   
 He shook his head.  
   
 Iwaizumi shook his head.  
   
 He walked away, to his room. He kept the lights off, burying himself in the darkness. He wanted to sink into his mattress, hide like he used to when he was young and afraid of the monsters under his bed. But it was wrong. One pillow smelled of Oikawa. He got up, opened a window. He changed the bedsheets. He did it all automatically. Without thought. Autopilot.  
   
 Oikawa had left some clothes.  
   
 Iwaizumi folded them, neatly, and put them aside.  
   
  _Do I tell him?_  
   
 The thought hit him like a bullet, and his knees gave way. He fell, to the floor, sitting up. He looked at a nonexistent point, in a dark room, and as the question hit him again – making him convulse and twitch – he felt sick. He wasn’t ill, not at all, but he felt sick. He felt his heart beating strangely, palpitations. He felt dizzy, he couldn’t breathe. He felt like this couldn’t be real. He got up, vision wavering. His stomach twisted. He ran to the bathroom, puked in the toilet. He waited until he could breathe. He flushed and rinsed his mouth in the sink.  
   
 He walked down the hall.  
   
 Into his kitchen.  
   
 Towards the T.V., something to distract him.  
   
 He grabbed the remote, but suddenly had no interest in the T.V.  
   
 Instead he tossed the remote to the sofa and asked, softly, “What do I do?” It was only then he was aware of another person’s presence. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he looked behind him.  
   
 “This kind of situation,” murmured Kenma – who sat comfortably on the other couch, staring at him – “Begs that very question… doesn’t it?”  
   
 Iwaizumi turned. “Get out,” he whispered, no force behind his words.  
   
 Kenma eyed him carefully and dipped his head in respect. “I come in peace, Iwaizumi Hajime… I believe this is our first formal meeting. I’m Kozume Kenma. Call me Kenma.” The pupils of his eyes were slits, like a cat’s, like a snake’s. “Kiyoko and Koutarou were both fairly hopeful, actually… about your relationship with Tooru, or Skirt. But… it seems that hope was in vain. You’ve turned away from him, haven’t you? Locked yourself away… I am… curious, about that.”  
   
 “Curious?” Iwaizumi stared him in the eye, feeling a sense of inferiority compared to the short man sitting on his couch. “I’m not going to satisfy your curiosity, Sectin or not. It’s none of your business.”  
   
 “I agree,” said Kenma.  
   
 Iwaizumi felt a chill run down his spine.  
   
 Kenma lifted his chin, very slightly. “What I propose is very simple: You give me some information about your… situation, with Tooru, and I will in turn offer some information you may find… interesting.”  
   
 “You’re not going to hide information from me,” countered Iwaizumi. “Any information regarding the variables of this sector gets forwarded to me, by Shimizu Kiyoko – the manager of this sector.”  
   
 “Yes… and no.” Kenma’s lips tugged upwards. “I was not referring to Angel, nor the phenomenon of thunder or Dark that has arisen lately. What I am offering you is information in regards to Oikawa.”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s eyes narrowed. “Why do you want to know about Oikawa and me anyway?”  
   
 “Tooru is…” Kenma stopped himself, then hummed thoughtfully. “Let me put it this way, Iwaizumi: How you act with Skirt from here on out will greatly change this Sector. Should you have sided with him, this situation would have been different. Should he have been more lenient with you, this situation would have been different. How you both acted then shaped this situation. How you both continue to act shapes the future. As you and Skirt are the strongest two Lights, what you do is very important to me and to Kiyoko.”  
   
 “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”  
   
 “That’s not what I asked.” Kenma stared for a few seconds, tilting his head as if to examine Iwaizumi from a different point of view. “I want to understand you. I wish to… understand you so that I may in some way… know what to do, with you.”  
   
 “Know what to do?” Iwaizumi stepped back. “With me?”  
   
 “I don’t believe you’re an enemy,” admitted Kenma. “But you have to understand that if you do not stand with Skirt, you are as much of an anomaly as is Angel. Something that… shouldn’t be. You see? I do not know you, I cannot predict you… so I wish to understand you. In exchange, I wish to give you some privileged information about Oikawa.”  
   
 “Sectin’s not supposed to interfere with our identities. Shimizu said so.”  
   
 “I’m above the law.”  
   
 Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow. Kenma had said it so calmly that Iwaizumi had to pause just to let it soak in. “Why? Why tell me?”  
   
 “This information is…” Kenma tilted his head. He looked odd, with his snake eyes, strange mannerisms, like one of those creepy European porcelain dolls that looked a little too real, too dead, to be fake. “Crucial to your survival.”  
   
 Iwaizumi wanted to look away, but there was something so captivating about the sight in front of him that he couldn’t. He blinked once, twice, before forcing himself to stare at the floor. “Fine,” he whispered. “Oath or die… that’s what Skirt… what, Oikawa…” he trailed off, eventually resuming, “That’s what he said. Hinata… that kid doesn’t know what he’s getting into. It’s an oath. A promise. Loyalty, pledging of allegiance.”  
   
 Kenma laughed; it was a light noise, with a small paired smile.  
   
 Iwaizumi frowned. “What?”  
   
 “I found that last part… funny.” Kenma’s eyes became half-lidded for a second before he blinked and kept them open. “Tooru’s been the one with commitment issues, in all of his relationships. He managed to stay… relatively stable, with you. Now… this. Of all things, is why you’re leaving him.”  
   
 “Do you just watch him like a creep? Watch all of his relationships?”  
   
 “Something to that extent,” he admitted. “Tooru has no… real parental figures in his life… as a gesture to my old friends, both his mother and father, I tend to check up on him quite often… even if he doesn’t notice my presence.”  
   
 “So what are you? Some uncle-aunt figure to him?”  
   
 Kenma raised an eyebrow. He said nothing on the subject; rather, he merely muttered, “Sorry for interrupting you. I apologise for laughing.”  
   
 “You’re good,” Iwaizumi said, quickly, to get the conversation back on topic.  
   
 “Go on.”  
   
 Iwaizumi sighed. He ran a hand through his hair. He didn’t know what he was supposed to say. “I don’t know what I want to do with my life. I’m used to moving around a lot, year to year, constantly going from one school to another. I’m not used to staying stable, staying at home. Not since mom…” He huffed. “But, after high school, what am I going to do? Life doesn’t stop here. I’ll be going to University, get a degree. What about after that? Masters? What will I do? Business? My dad travels the country, so…”  
   
 “You don’t like him?”  
   
 “It’s… not that…” Iwaizumi sighed. “I do like his job… it’s been passed down from father to son for quite a few generations… but I don’t like the idea of something already built being handed to me simply because I’m some person’s son. I want to go to school, get experience. I want to make myself worthy of it.”  
   
 “That’s noble.”  
   
 “But.” Iwaizumi’s eyes narrowed. “I can’t do that if I’m here, if I pledge myself here!”  
   
 Kenma nodded, slowly. “It’s better you don’t, then. Tooru wants… He would want long-term commitment. Also, he would want someone who considers the balance of Light and Dark to remain stable. You don’t. Your future is important.”  
   
 Iwaizumi sighed. “Sorry.”  
   
 “Don’t apologise.” Kenma closed his eyes, nodding somewhat sagely, before opening his eyes again. “Everyone has their own dreams, their own path. We need people, like Tooru, to focus on the balance… but we also need others, like yourself, to remain flexible and to focus on your own life in cases other than emergencies. Whether you wish to or not, I don’t mind, but Sectin does offer paid positions to those who respond to emergencies. With your ability to teleport significant distances, you could consider it a side job to help pay for your education. It makes no difference to me, though. I’m merely letting you know.”  
   
 Iwaizumi considered it. “I don’t like Sectin.”  
   
 Kenma didn’t seem fazed or offended by the remark; instead, he looked like he had expected it in some way. “That’s fine. Your father’s job appeals to you, doesn’t it? I’d like to focus on that… because it’s the same for Oikawa.”  
   
 “What does this have to do with Tooru?”  
   
 Kenma cocked his head to the side. “The same way your dad’s job is to you, is the way Tooru’s mother’s job is to him.”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s eyes narrowed. “Wait…” It clicked. “You mean she’s…”  
   
 “His mother is a Sector Leader. High rank. World renown.” Kenma crossed his legs. “Oikawa Tooru … took his mother’s family name. It’s a complicated story there. His father…” Kenma shrugged it off. “But his mother is the Sector Leader of Tokyo.”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s eyes widened. “What? What did you just say?”  
   
 “Yes,” said Kenma, simply.  
   
 Iwaizumi felt cold shivers race in his body. “You mean to tell me… You mean, the death zone? The Blood Ring?”  
   
 “Yes,” Kenma repeated in the same voice. He let Iwaizumi stare at him, somewhat dumbly, for a full minute. He let it sink in. “Truth is, not many people can stomach the Blood Ring. Not even Tooru, who you know has a violent jealous streak to him, could stomach a sector where everybody is killing each other, battle of the strongest. A place where Light fight Dark, _and other Lights._ But his mother is top rung. She is the strongest of the strong, stronger than myself even with either or both of my subordinates. Stronger than Angel, stronger than anything you can imagine. And she uses her strength to crush Tooru.”  
   
 Iwaizumi glared. “Why?”  
   
 “She, in a sick… damaged, way… loves him.” Kenma closed his eyes, as if the very thought of it was a knife to his heart. “She loves him, and she wants him to be strong – because all she knows is violence. All she has taught him is violence. Tooru disagrees, Tooru rejects, but he’s normalised some of it, he’s internalised some of it. It’s a negative behaviour, a negative pattern of thought and action inside him that emerges from time to time, when the conditions are right.”  
   
 “Against me… Against Blade, I mean.”  
   
 “Yes.” Kenma opened his eyes. “Tooru’s absorbed some of her damaged love. As you must know, Oikawa – the older; his mother – will be visiting soon.”  
   
 Iwaizumi nodded, slowly.  
   
 “All of Sectin knows the last name ‘Oikawa’. Angel, and his allies no doubt will recognise it. As you know, when you battled the… toad, there was some evidence to believe I was the target of that escapade… but I’m not convinced. I believe Tooru is the target _because_ of his link to his mother, Leader of the Blood Ring.”  
   
 “So…” Iwaizumi swallowed hard. “You think shit’s going to go down when she’s here?”  
   
 “No. The opposite.” Kenma uncrossed his legs and stood up slowly. “We’ve had moments of high activity, and low activity, but the calms have always been when our enemy has been preparing another attack. I believe Angel and whoever else opposes stability will vacate the Sector when Oikawa arrives. I urge you not to transform – not once – when she is here. She will find you, and kill you, before Tooru can explain who you are… or before you can even react.”  
   
 Iwaizumi stepped closer to him. “What do you mean?”  
   
 “Oikawa is a human goddess of war.” Kenma’s eyes narrowed. “For all their intellect and wit they’ve shown us, our enemies would not be foolish enough to stay in this area while she is nearby… and, neither will I.”  
   
 Iwaizumi frowned.  
   
 “She will not have me meddling in her son’s Sector.” Kenma shook his head. “Koutarou and Keiji… Sorry, Bokuto and Akaashi (as you know them), and I will all be leaving the Sector. I have no doubt Angel will be as well. Oikawa could kill Angel in a few seconds. You, in even less. Understand?”  
   
 Iwaizumi nodded. “I understand…”  
   
 Kenma nodded peacefully and a green wind whirled around him. “I’ve said my piece. Storm guide you, Blade.” In one twist of a gust, Kenma’s image dissolved into green cords that wove away in different directions.  
   
 As Kenma faded in front of him, Iwaizumi stared at the space where those snake eyes had once been. He was left alone, in a dark room, alone with his thoughts, and the threats hanging still in the air.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “Kou-chan!”  
   
 Sugawara was laying cookies out on a plate when he felt Oikawa hug him from behind. “Hmm?” He looked over his shoulder, seeing his best friend’s face with a huge grin on it. “What’s up, buttercup?”  
   
 Oikawa laughed. He nuzzled Sugawara’s cheek. They were at the anime club. The next episode was being set up. “I need attention.”  
   
 “Awww.” Sugawara raised a hand and scratched under Oikawa’s chin. “Sorry, love. I’ve got something to figure out, okay?”  
   
 “Huh?”  
   
 Sugawara laughed and then gave a teasing wink.  
   
 Oikawa smiled. “Let’s hang out after school!”  
   
 “I’m busy, sorry!”  
   
 “What about tomorrow? It’s Saturday! We can go after classes!”  
   
 Sugawara laughed again. “I’m not going to the classes tomorrow. I’m busy today and tomorrow, actually.”  
   
 “What?” Oikawa pouted. “Why?”  
   
 Sugawara was going to answer, but someone came hurrying towards him in an awkward shuffle. “Hey,” he said softly.  
   
 Yamaguchi’s face was bright red. “I s-saw him in the hall, and I just.” He waved his hands in front of his face. “I don’t know what I said. I think I said something stupid? I don’t know. Oh gosh. But… he called me cute?” A huge smile formed on Yamaguchi’s lips.  
   
 Sugawara laughed. He shrugged Oikawa off and patted Yamaguchi twice. “You did good! It’ll be fine.”  
   
 Yamaguchi took a huge, greedy gulp of air. “You think so?”  
   
 “Yes, I know so.”  
   
 Yamaguchi gave a sigh of relief.  
   
 Hinata soon joined them, blinking up at Yamaguchi. “Why are you so red? What happened?”  
   
 Oikawa giggled. Although he already knew, he needed to tease with a, “So who does our resident lover boy like?”  
   
 Yamaguchi meeped, feeling crowded by the others. “I was, I was just talking to Kageyama and—”  
   
 The door opened.  
   
 Oikawa frowned. “Freaky how that works.”  
   
 Kageyama, standing in the doorway, stared. “What.”  
   
 Hinata stuck his tongue out. “Creepy!” He pointed at his best friend. “Whenever we say your name you pop out of nowhere!”  
   
 Kageyama grabbed the top of Hinata’s head and Hinata started screaming, until he ducked away behind Oikawa. Forgetting about him when Yamaguchi giggled (and it was… such a nice, noise; it made Kageyama feel… warms… and st-stuffs…), he turned to Yamaguchi. “Tadashi.” He offered something black and of leather. “You dropped this.”  
   
 Yamaguchi grabbed it. “My wallet!” He straightened his spine. “Ah, thanks!” He bowed quickly. “Thank you.”  
   
 Kageyama, feeling the heat in his cheeks rising, wiggled backwards until he slipped out of the room.  
   
 Sugawara closed the door slowly.  
   
 Yamaguchi let out a sigh of relief.  
   
 Hinata grinned. “You’re all wound tight!”  
   
 Oikawa added, “As tight as a penis in an asshole.”  
   
 “Impure energies begone!” Sugawara yelled as he karate chopped Oikawa’s stomach.  
   
 “Oof!”  
   
 Yamaguchi’s cheeks were burning and he was clutching onto his wallet with both hands, as if it was his lifeline.  
   
 Sugawara pulled him away. “Come on, ignore them.” He smiled.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “Shou-chan!”  
   
 Hinata had his backpack on when he turned. They were just leaving the anime club. “What’s up, Senpai?”  
   
 Oikawa smiled. “Wanna hang out tomorrow?”  
   
 “What day is it tomorrow?” Hinata tilted his head. “Oh, Saturday!” He blinked and then wiggled his feet together, looking down, hands behind his back. “I’m uh…”  
   
 “He’s busy,” added Tsukishima who walked up to them.  
   
 Hinata looked up. “Hi!”  
   
 Oikawa blinked. “Funny seeing you here, Kei-chan! (“Don’t call me that…”) Since you don’t have any clubs or anything.”  
   
 “I was studying in the library,” Tsukishima said without much interest. “No point going to review classes tomorrow if you don’t go over your notes and prepare what you need to focus on first.” He side-eyed Hinata.  
   
 Hinata winced. “I’m going to! I promise!”  
   
 Tsukishima hid his smile, looking back to Oikawa. “I stayed to walk him home. Tomorrow he’s busy. We have a date.”  
   
 Oikawa grinned. “A daaaaaaaaate?”  
   
 Tsukishima walked away.  
   
 Hinata gave double thumbs up before running after Tsuki. “Hey Kei! Wait up!”  
   
 “Why? Your short legs can’t keep up?”  
   
 “KEI!”  
   
 Oikawa wiped a fake tear from his eye as he watched them go. “My little Kouhai.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 After club, Sugawara was walking downtown. It was colder than it should have been for late April. He had his blue scarf – the one he had previously leant Yamaguchi – wrapped around his neck and the lower half of his face. His ears were cold. He was walking, right hand gripping the strap of his messenger bag tight. His left arm had his books tight against his chest. As he was walking down the street, he didn’t hear the person running after him until a hand tugged his elbow. “Huh?” He turned with surprise.  
   
 Daichi was looking at him, smiling. “Hey.”  
   
 “Hi,” Suga replied, somewhat stupidly, bewildered.  
   
 “You walked right passed the meeting place,” Daichi had a teasing tone in his voice.  
   
 “Did I?” Sugawara blinked, realising he had crossed the street twice more than necessary. “Oh…”  
   
 “Yes. You did.” Daichi leaned in, pressing their lips together.  
   
 Sugawara closed his eyes, letting himself melt in the warmth that was Daichi. His grip on his shoulder strap and books loosened, just a little, and he realised how much stress he had in his body. When the kiss ended, he opened his eyes and smiled. “Sorry…”  
   
 “It’s okay.” Daichi took his hand and pulled him along. They walked to their usual café. “Something on your mind?”  
   
 Sugawara liked the feel of Daichi’s hand in his. It was rougher, more calloused, but still soft. He broke his hand away to take his bag off and put it on the space next to him when they sat at a booth. The warm coffee aroma was nice, comforting compared to the cold outside. “Yeah,” he finally replied. “Yeah…”  
   
 Daichi glanced to the side. “One Americano.”  
   
 “And one soy latte, please.”  
   
 Daichi looked at him. “Any sweets?”  
   
 Sugawara, puffing up his cheeks, forced himself to say, “I’m okay.”  
   
 Daichi winked at him, then glanced to the waiter. “Can we get a few eclairs?”  
   
 The waiter smiled at them and nodded.  
   
 Sugawara watched him go before glancing to Daichi. “Well aren’t you a charmer…”  
   
 “Why would you say that?” Daichi grinned.  
   
 Sugawara fought back a smile. “You know they’re my favourite, don’t you?”  
   
 Daichi’s grin didn’t fade. “Maybe.”  
   
 Sugawara’s smile broke free. “You didn’t have to get them for me.”  
   
 “You?” Daichi feigned innocence. “Maybe I was just going to eat them all right in front of you.”  
   
 There was a pause. People came and went in the shop.  
   
 Sugawara kicked his shin.  
   
 “Ow!” Daichi laughed and winced at the same time. “I was kidding!”  
   
 Sugawara bit his lip to hide his smile.  
   
 “So.” Daichi sobered up a bit, grin turning into just a smile. “What’s up?”  
   
 “Huh? Oh.” Sugawara sighed, smile fading. “Tooru… finally wanted to hang out, today… Well, he wanted to talk to me at the club, but I promised Yamaguchi I’d talk to him.”  
   
 “How’d that go?”  
   
 Sugawara made some kind of whistle then an explosion sound.  
   
 Daichi had long since learned that was Suga talk for ‘train wreck’. He laughed.  
   
 “But we’ll get back to Yamaguchi later,” said Suga. He smiled, twiddling his thumbs together. He relaxed, though. It was easy. It was so easy being with Daichi. Sugawara felt like he could do anything. He saw Daichi’s hands on the table and he reached over to hold them, to feel his fingers against Daichi’s fingers. It was easy. “Then Tooru wanted to hang out after school.”  
   
 “Isn’t that what you wanted?” asked Daichi. “You know you could have blown me off.”  
   
 “That’s not the kind of blowing I—” Sugawara’s eyebrows shot up. Realising what he was about to say, and the grin that was forming on Daichi’s mouth—”Forget that. Now.” He coughed, loudly, and pulled his hands away from Daichi. “Anyway!” his voice was an octave too high. He cleared his throat. “Anyway,” he said normally, “I could have cancelled with you, yeah… but I like being with you. And. I know it’s kind of, childish. But I wanted him to know what it was like… to have the one person you can always count on to blow you off. You know?”  
   
 “You say it’s childish,” murmured Daichi, “But I think it’s an important lesson any best friend would need to know.”  
   
 Sugawara felt warm. It bloomed in him. “After that, he asked for tomorrow.”  
   
 “Ah.” Daichi smiled. “You’re going to need the full day, huh?”  
   
 “For Yamaguchi?” Sugawara laughed. “Probably. I bet on it.”  
   
 “Smart bet.”  
   
 Suga snickered. They both glanced to the side as their drinks and eclairs came. They thanked the waiters, then took their drinks. They did a quick cheers, then pigged out on some eclairs.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Oikawa was walking home. Having no one to hang out with, he went to the arcades like he usually did when he was alone. Not that he had been alone often for the past little while, but… Anyway. He ran a hand through his hair. He shook the thought off. He’d spent the past hour or two beating bad guys in one of those flight simulators and then another hour beating his high score at DDR – Oikawa was, of course, the record holder for the best local Dance Dance Revolution. He was on tonight and his hips didn’t lie. Neither did his feet. Or his legs. Or his high score.  
   
 But as he was walking home, he saw a couple ahead of him.  
   
 Daichi and Sugawara.  
   
 They were in front of Oikawa and Suga’s building, meaning they must have come off a recent date. Oikawa grinned. He tippy toed behind them and creeped closer to give them a scare.  
   
 Daichi leaned over and pressed his lips against Suga’s, a gentle goodbye kiss.  
   
 Oikawa crept closer and closer; he decided to wait until they had just ended the kiss, when they would be basking in the warm afterglow of romance… but that time didn’t come.  
   
 Daichi had his arms around Suga’s waist, holding him close.  
   
 Suga’s eyes were firmly shut as his fingers grasped the fabric of Daichi’s shirt just over his chest.  
   
 Oikawa stared for a while. He wiggled his lips from one side to another before sighing. “That’s some long ass kiss!” Okay, maybe he was a little bitter.  
   
 The two broke away, flustered, muttering excuses and whatnots.  
   
 Oikawa grinned, putting a hand on his hip. “Did I spoil the mood?”  
   
 Sugawara, glaring (playfully, of course), gave a sharp, “Yes!”  
   
 Daichi kissed his cheek then took a step back. “I’ll see you later?”  
   
 Sugawara leaned over, taking another kiss – shorter this time. “Okay,” he whispered. As Daichi walked away, Sugawara watched him go.  
   
 Oikawa put an arm around him. “Date with the Daddy, huh?”  
   
 “Oh my god…” Sugawara put his face in his hands. “Shut the fuck up!”  
   
 “Wow, you’re a potty mouth today!”  
   
 Sugawara grinned. “You deserve it.” He elbowed his best friend.  
   
 “Oof!”  
   
 Sugawara took his hand and pulled him along. They walked in the front door and then moved into the elevator. He hit the button and waited as the rectangular room began moving upwards.  
   
 “So,” said Oikawa with too much tease, “What are you doing tomorrow, huh?”  
   
 “It’s a thing.”  
   
 “A thing?”  
   
 “Mhm.” Suga smiled. “Just a thing. With Yamaguchi.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 School was optional on Saturdays, but Oikawa always attended. He didn’t always find the review sessions helpful (in fact, most of the times he didn’t). But, on occasion, he found himself thankful he went; and, if anything, review was review. It was probably better for the teachers to go over the material for him instead of him having to go over it alone. He had good teachers this year, ones that really wanted to explain the material and help their students learn.  
   
 Oikawa was taking notes in class.  
   
 Attendance was about half. That was fairly normal.  
   
 Usually it was around a half when they weren’t covering intensely difficult material, anyway.  
   
 But Oikawa glanced to the side.  
   
 Iwaizumi’s desk was empty.  
   
 And so was Suga’s, and further on the row was Daichi’s empty desk too.  
   
 Oikawa hummed, biting his lip.  
   
 He felt his heart drop a bit. Like everyone was out there doing something fun – without him.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 By dinner time, Yamaguchi was walking through breathing exercises as he walked by Sugawara. “Th-Thanks, for this.”  
   
 Sugawara smiled. “Don’t worry about it.” They walked into the restaurant. It was a casual place, popular among teens and people in their twenties. A _youshoku,_ which was the word for a western food restaurant. Since it was in the heart of downtown, where the rent was so high, they were almost guaranteed a good place. The shop was clean, music not as loud, and it had a nice style to it. Sugawara walked to the table where two people sat, side by side, waiting for them.  
   
 “Oh gosh,” whimpered Yamaguchi.  
   
 Sugawara laughed, then felt bad for it. “Sorry.” He nudged Yamaguchi. “As I told you, okay?”  
   
 They approached the table.  
   
 Daichi and Kageyama waited for them.  
   
 Daichi got up, giving Suga a quick kiss, before the two sat down.  
   
 Kageyama (because Daichi got up) got up and looked at Yamaguchi.  
   
 Yamaguchi, feeling his face get hot and his throat getting tight, whimpered, “K-Kagey-yama.”  
   
 “Don’t be nervous,” said Kageyama simply. “It’s just a date.”  
   
  _Just_ a date. Yamaguchi stared at him. It was _just_ a date. He wanted to ask if Kageyama was kidding, but he knew he wasn’t. Blunt. To the point. No finesse, but also unable to hide his emotions. In some ways, Yamaguchi adored that about Kageyama. It was easy to see when he was interested, when he wasn’t. It was easy to see when he liked you (he’d let you know) or when he thought you were an idiot (he’d definitely let you know). Yamaguchi felt oddly… secure, around him. He knew where he stood with Kageyama, most of the time.  
   
 “Tadashi?”  
   
 Yamaguchi flushed. The thought of the guy he liked saying his first name (so comfortably too) was warm enough to overpower his hate for his best friend. It had been Tsukishima who had told Kageyama to call Yamaguchi by his first name. Tsuki had done it entirely to torture Yamaguchi (and everyone (except Kags) knew it). Yet, when Kageyama said that name, he couldn’t help but feel warm and giddy. They didn’t know each other long enough to be on first name basis, but some inner heart-throb romantic part of him wanted to move right into that stage.  
   
 “You okay?” Kageyama tilted his head. “We should sit.” He motioned to the chairs.  
   
 “R-Right!” Yamaguchi slammed into his seat, almost falling over (Suga caught him) and then wiggled in place. “I’m fine! Really!” He couldn’t breathe. “Ahaha, I’m okay.” He smiled. “Aha, aha… ahahaha…”  
   
 Daichi raised an eyebrow, looking to Suga. “Is he going to be okay?”  
   
 Kageyama took his seat as well, frowning at Daichi. “He said he’s okay.”  
   
 Sugawara laughed. He saved them by starting conversation, topics of classes and school and clubs. Yamaguchi eventually started to unwind, Kageyama was actually attempting to talk, and Daichi saved them whenever the topic went to something probably not comfortable for dates. He eventually brought up the anime club, talking about the events and whatnot they did.  
   
 “Just wait for November,” said Daichi with a smile. “It’s my favourite month of the year.”  
   
 Kageyama looked at him. “November? But sometimes it snows. We can’t play volleyball when it snows.”  
   
 “No he means…” Sugawara blushed. “Don’t. Daichi, don’t.”  
   
 Daichi grinned, though. “You know every culture festival, all the clubs have to do something. Everybody does little things, the usual stuff, you know? But the anime club, of course, has to be extravagant as always.”  
   
 Sugawara eyed him. “Don’t.”  
   
 “I don’t know how they get away with it.” Daichi didn’t stop grinning. “The maid cafe. Skirts and all. For everyone.”  
   
 “Shhhh!” Sugawara kicked his shin. “Shut up… Oh God, I remember Tooru made me take your order last year and everything. I was shaking the whole time…”  
   
 “Really?” Daichi smiled at the memory. “You seemed pretty calm.”  
   
 “Internal screaming.”  
   
 “Internal train noises?”  
   
 “Shut up… Yes.”  
   
 “You served me the year before that too. I liked last year’s mini skirt better, though.”  
   
 Sugawara’s cheeks flushed. “I wasn’t wearing a mini skirt.”  
   
 It was Kageyama who said, “Yes you were.”  
   
 Suga looked at him. “You saw me too?”  
   
 “Hinata wanted me to see his skirt,” explained Kageyama. He had a little smile on his face. “He was proud of it, since Oikawa-san put something in his head about how wearing skirts means being powerful. I didn’t get it.”  
   
 Yamaguchi paled. “It’s not… every year, is it?”  
   
 “Oh yeah.” Suga sighed. “It is: And it’s mandatory. Trust me, so many try to get out of it. None work.”  
   
 Yamaguchi gulped. “I don’t have to wear a skirt do I?”  
   
 “No, no. You don’t have to. You can wear a dress instead.”  
   
 “That’s not what I meant!”  
   
 Daichi glanced over to Kageyama, who was staring at Yamaguchi with the tiniest smile. “I didn’t know you liked boys in skirts, Kageyama.”  
   
 “What.” Kageyama looked at him, forcing himself to stop imagining Yamaguchi Tadashi in a skirt.  
   
 Daichi grinned. “So you’re one of those guys, huh?”  
   
 “No!” Kageyama’s face burned. “Shut up. Shut up, dumbass!”  
   
 “Is that anyway to talk to your captain?”  
   
 “Shut up!”  
   
 Yamaguchi couldn’t help but laugh. “Stop teasing him!”  
   
 The rest of the date went well.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 But double dates aside, some people had single dates.  
   
 Tsukishima and Hinata were walking next to each other, at the same height, by the portside. The Pacific Ocean was a fluid mix of colours; the side closer to them was lit up orange and red at the sight of the sunset, while the faraway parts had already sunken into dark greens and blues. Instead of a railing on the portside, there was a collection of rocks that separated the walkway from the ocean. Hinata was walking along the makeshift railing. He had both of his arms stretched outwards, collecting his balance as he skipped from rock to rock, babbling on about something or another. Every once in a while he brought his right hand to his mouth to lick his Popsicle. Bright blue, blueberry flavoured. Tsukishima’s treat, of course. Popsicles were always nice.  
   
 Tsukishima eyed Hinata carefully. “You’re going to fall.”  
   
 “Am not!” Hinata grinned. “I’m agile: I’m a fox!”  
   
 “You’re not Fox now. You’re going to fall.”  
   
 “No!” Hinata jumped from one large rock onto another. “I’m still super agile!”  
   
 Tsukishima suddenly smiled. “You’re going to fall if someone happens to push you…”  
   
 Hinata stopped and gasped. “You wouldn’t!”  
   
 Tsukishima hummed, as if to think about it. He looked at his finished Popsicle stick. “Maybe…”  
   
 “No way!” Hinata hopped off and pouted. “Don’t push me into the ocean on our first date! It’ll be our last date!”  
   
 “Good. Maybe I can finally get some studying done.” Tsukishima kept walking; being in front of Hinata had its advantages, like being able to hide the little smile on his face when Hinata made a strange squawking noise.  
   
 “No wait hey!” Hinata finished his Popsicle. He checked to see if he was a winner, but there was nothing on his Popsicle stick so he threw it out. He ran after Tsukishima. He jumped up, surprisingly high, and landed on Tsukishima’s back.  
   
 “Hey!” Tsuki almost lost his balance, being thrown a few steps forward, but he put his hands on Hinata’s legs. “Get off.”  
   
 “No!”  
   
 Tsukishima tried to shake him off by moving his back.  
   
 “I’m agile!” Hinata hugged Tsukishima in a piggyback. “See? Agile!”  
   
 “Agility has nothing to do with you hanging on like a monkey!”  
   
 “Like a fox!”  
   
 Tsukishima huffed and began walking. He pretended he didn’t like the idea of giving Hinata a piggyback ride (but who the fuck was he kidding?). “I regret everything.”  
   
 “Good!” Hinata nuzzled the back of Tsuki’s neck, feeling Tsuki’s spine go straight.  
   
 Tsukishima’s face flushed.  
   
 “Wow you’re all red!” Hinata more or less yelled in Tsuki’s ear as he craned his neck to see Tsuki’s blush.  
   
 “So what?” Tsukishima scoffed.  
   
 “Awww, you’re not used to physical contact and being all affectionate, are you?”  
   
 Tsukishima kept walking. He tried to think of a witty comeback but he had nothing. His brain was all scrambled from heat and touch and the warms feels in his tummy.  
   
 “Don’t you snuggle with Akiteru?”  
   
 “What? No. Why would I?”  
   
 “Natsu and I cuddle all the time!”  
   
 “We’re different.”  
   
 Hinata laughed. “I guess.” He smiled. “We can cuddle!”  
   
 Tsukishima raised his chin and scoffed. “I don’t want to.”  
   
 But when Hinata nuzzled the side of Tsuki’s neck, he felt Tsuki lean into it a little bit. “Don’t want to, huh?”  
   
 “Shut up.” Tsuki forced himself to frown.  
   
 Hinata hung onto Tsuki for a moment and rested his head on his shoulder. “Hey Kei… I really like you.”  
   
 “I can tell.”  
   
 “Good.” Hinata smiled for a moment. “Are you having fun?”  
   
 Tsuki paused, looking over his shoulder. He wasn’t ready for Hinata’s face being _right there_. Lips only a small distance apart. It wasn’t quite right, but if he leaned his head back just a bit more they could easily… He forced his eyes up to Hinata’s. But that was a mistake. The intense look on Hinata’s face made his knees all wiggly and weak. His toes curled in his shoes. “What?”  
   
 “We don’t have to keep on going if you’re not having fun,” said Hinata simply. “The date I mean. I’m having fun, but it doesn’t look like you are.”  
   
 “I’m…” Tsuki sighed. He closed his eyes. “I’m having fun. A lot of fun… I like being with you.”  
   
 Hinata grinned and kissed his cheek. “Ha!”  
   
 Tsuki’s eyes snapped open and he glared. His cheeks were bright, bright red. “You did that on purpose didn’t you?”  
   
 “Of course I did!” Hinata laughed triumphantly. “I’m not as dumb as you think I am, Kei!”  
   
 Tsukishima stared at him for a moment then looked away. “I don’t think you’re dumb.”  
   
 “Of course I’m dumb,” Hinata said with a smile. “My marks are so low! Only reason I’m passing is because you’re helping me.”  
   
 “You’re not dumb,” assured Tsukishima. He looked at the ground. “You’re smart, Hinata… Um.” He rolled his eyes. “Shouyou.” He bit his lip, oddly liking the way that word tasted on his tongue. “You’re smart, but you just… You have trouble communicating it. You don’t always read the question, or sometimes your answers are right but you just don’t say it in the right way… But you’re smart. I wouldn’t have time for you if you really were just a dumbass.”  
   
 Hinata’s smile had faded. He listened, saying nothing. When Tsuki was done all he could say was, “Yeah?”  
   
 “Yeah.”  
   
 Hinata nuzzled Tsuki’s neck again, slowly. It was more like he was hiding, or maybe saying thank you, instead of trying to tease this time.  
   
 Tsukishima’s cheeks warmed and his heart beat a little too quickly. The idea of Hinata being so close, so warm… It was disgusting, the butterflies in his stomach, but he liked the feeling. A little. He’d never admit it, but that wasn’t a surprise.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “Ding dong!”  
   
 “You don’t have to say ding dong if I’m opening the door…”  
   
 Oikawa stood at Iwaizumi’s doorway. “Hi!” He smiled, giving a little wave. “You’re sick and I’m a good boyfriend. Can I come take care of you?”  
   
 Unlike Oikawa who was wearing his school uniform, Iwaizumi was in his pyjamas that had little bears on them. “No.”  
   
 “What?” Oikawa pouted. “Please?”  
   
 “I…” Iwaizumi felt a stab in his stomach. “I kind of want to rest…” You’re a headache, he didn’t say. You’re my enemy, he didn’t say. “Alone.”  
   
 “Hajime…” Oikawa’s pout became a full on sad face. Not one for attention, not one as a tease, just an actual sad crestfallen look. “If I didn’t know any better I’d say you just didn’t want me around.”  
   
 “If you didn’t know any better,” murmured Iwaizumi with the bitter taste of disdain. “That’s the only thing you know how _to_ do: Make it all about you.”  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes widened ever so slightly.  
   
 A small breeze passed by.  
   
 “I’m…” Iwaizumi cleared his throat. His saliva burned like acid. “I’m sorry…” He looked down. “I get really grumpy when I’m sick,” excuses, “It’s not you,” excuses, “I just don’t want to see anyone right now…”  
   
 Oikawa nodded slowly. “Okay.”  
   
 Shit. Were those tears in the corner of Oikawa’s eyes?  
   
 “Text me,” said Oikawa, “Okay? Text me if you get lonely.”  
   
 “Yeah.” Iwaizumi nodded. “I’ll text you.”  
   
 “Bye.” Oikawa smiled. Forced smile.  
   
 “Bye.” Iwaizumi closed the door in his face. He locked it, quickly, then pressed his forehead against the cool metal. He closed his eyes, sighing, and shivered.


	23. Shadows

 Oikawa sat alone in class. It was Monday. Sunday had come and gone, without a soul talking to him. There was no club today. He was alone in the classroom, class had ended. Iwaizumi didn't come. Sugawara and Daichi had gone off together – Suga wanting to give a hand to help the volleyball team (with what, Suga didn't say). He sat alone in the classroom. He had watched every person leave, from the students to the teacher. They had all filed out, one after another, not a soul talking to him.  
   
 He looked out the window.  
   
 The sun was setting.  
   
 It was a pretty sight, actually, the way it painted the walls all pink and red and orange and made everything look so warm and romantic.  
   
 Oikawa stared at the sun, for only a second, before looking around the room.  
   
 He looked and looked, until his searching eyes looked outside again.  
   
 This time at something else orange. Originally pink, the cherry blossoms looked like fire trees in the sunset. The cherry blossoms that were still alive, of course. It was the end of April. The cherry blossoms had bloomed late this year, so some people expected them to last longer, but the ones around the school were starting to fade completely. They had gone from a bright bloom to a desolate dead brown. The price of a rare life. Nothing but sticks in the woods: While green flourished, pink died. The price of a rare life. A hot flash, a moment of bliss, then death. Oikawa wondered, loosely, what it would be like to have an easy life, to have a simple one.  
   
 One that would have happiness lasting longer, one that wouldn't burn out after one flash of fire.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Iwaizumi was in the dark. He hadn't turned on the lights in his house for over forty-eight hours. The only light he'd seen was the bits of sun that made its way through the blinds, or the fridge light. He had eaten this and that here and there, but not much else. He hadn't been eating well, but that was mostly because he couldn't taste anything anymore. He couldn't feel much, either. Sight was darkness. Smell had died with taste. The only sense he had left was hearing.  
   
 He heard his dad's voice, when Iwaizumi had called and asked him to excuse him from classes for a few days because he was sick.  
   
 He heard Oikawa's voice from phone calls as well.  
   
  _“Do you want me to come over, Iwa-chan?”_  
   
 “No. I'm fine.”  
   
 He got texts as well.  
   
  _[Oikawa Tooru, 5:01pm] I got papers and stuff for you from class! *Kiss kiss* <3_  
   
 He thanked him, sending something along the lines of “see you in a while”.  
   
 But even after a while, there was nothing.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Sugawara was warm. He was at Daichi's house, in the den. Daichi's parents had gone out to dinner together, their date night, and Daichi had invited Suga. It was nice, since they were entirely alone. Daichi, who hadn't come out to his parents, didn't want to risk being too affectionate with Suga while his parents were around. Now that they were gone, they were on the couch together, Suga leaning his head on Daichi's shoulder, Daichi with his arm around Suga, close – warm, and close.  
   
 They were watching some movie, or something.  
   
 But neither of them really paid attention.  
   
 They both realised it was more of an excuse to just _be close_ with each other.  
   
 Suga thought back to his first date with Daichi, when he realised movie dates weren't dumb... now he was pretty sure they were amazing. Even with a bad movie, they were together, practically hugging. Suga leaned into the crook of Daichi's neck and took in his scent. "This is nice," he said softly. “Just... just me, just you... Nothing else. No one else.” He smiled. “You make me so happy, Daichi.”  
   
 Daichi's cheeks warmed and he pulled Suga close. “It really is something, huh?”  
   
 Suga smiled.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Oikawa sat in the seat. The sun had long since set. The moon hung in the sky. The room had gone from burning orange to cold dark blue. He shivered. He thought of his life, only a week ago, and how it had seemed filled with life and light, and now it just felt... empty. It made him realise, that maybe it was all a joke, maybe it was all just... Maybe people were just pretending to like him.  
   
 Everything was slipping away.  
   
 A beep from his phone made him snap out of it. He grabbed his phone, hurriedly, to see if either Suga or Iwaizumi had replied.  
   
 It was junk mail.  
   
 Oikawa put his phone down. Then looked up. “Oh.” He looked around the classroom. “I'm still here.” The time was almost seven o'clock. He got up, murmuring a “Sorry,” (to whom he was talking to was unknown, because it clearly wasn't like anyone cared about anything he did). He took his bag, putting his notebook and stuff inside without care. He left the school, thankful they hadn't locked up yet.  
   
 In the dark, he walked home, to the train station.  
   
 He took a train, keeping his head down as the lights flickered overhead. There was the subtle shaking of the train, but he didn't care. There was the constant annoying rattling of the train, but he didn't care. There was movement in the corner of his eyes, but he kept his head down, because he didn't care. It didn't matter. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered, obviously, and Oikawa obviously didn't matter.


	24. Need

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy the new chapter! <3
> 
> Thank you for all the lovely comments, too!
> 
> * * *

 Cutting through the skies, violence, that was all he knew – that was all he knew; now. Cutting through monsters, slashing through their sticky flesh, it was all he knew now – it was all he knew. It was all he was good at – all he was good at – as his obsidian blades spun and spun, tearing and slashing through everything. It was a battle dance, and he danced through the night, throwing blades, slashing with his swords, creating wicked two-handers that he could barely lift. He threw them like boomerangs, watching the slaughter storm of monsters rage all around him. He was stronger, now. He knew he was stronger. Before coming to Yokohama, before coming to this Sector, before Skirt – he was strong, but not this strong.  
   
 Iwaizumi slashed again.  
   
 The monsters raced at him. Dark was attracted to Light, and since Iwaizumi was shining so bright – a beacon of death – they had to lunge themselves at him, had to swallow him whole. But Iwaizumi danced, from one monster to another, slashing and killing. He was slicing them. He was murdering them. They tried to kill him, and so he would kill them. That’s all that mattered. All that mattered. They tried to clump up, they tried to become stronger, absorbing on another for a common goal. He wouldn’t allow it. He cut one’s head off. He wouldn’t accept it. He stabbed one in the heart.  
   
 He was not human, not anymore.  
   
 He ambushed the monsters, gouging out their eyes, slashing and slicing their bodies, rupturing their core, crippling them by tearing off their limbs, chopping them off, carving out holes in their bodies as he lacerated them in gashes, leaving them wounded—eventually slaughtering them with a sharp impale of a massive blade.  
   
 Black blood burst into the air.  
   
 Iwaizumi was a demon, really. Not a person. He was a demon.  
   
 But there was one thing that lit him like a fire, it replaced his blood with anger, his every cells with rage. It was the sound of a rifle being fired, the sound of a chainsaw slashing. Iwaizumi spun around with such force. “Shut up!” he yelled, with too much ferocity for a lack of offense. He twirled, blasting a blade at another monster.  
   
 Skirt – or Oikawa, rather (he was still getting used to it) – landed on a lamp post.  
   
 Iwaizumi was midair when he tore apart a massive bird, then landed on another lamp post. It was a lamp post above a streetlight, everyone called it ‘Creaky’ since it was extremely wobbly and made awful noises. Fox, Staff, Rod, and Skirt had all made bets on how long it would take before it would fall. But Iwaizumi knew none of that.  
   
 Skirt, Oikawa, eyed him.  
   
 Iwaizumi stared back.  
   
 Oikawa tilted his head. He stood still for a moment. The wind gusted around them, his skirt and open shirt ruffled, but he didn’t seem to mind. “What exactly are you doing?” Behind his mask, he cocked one of his eyebrows up. “You look like you’re having a bad day, Blade-chan.”  
   
 Iwaizumi looked at him, listened to him, but not many of the words were absorbed. How could he not have known? The more he stared at Skirt, the more he realised it could only be Oikawa Tooru. Everything about him screamed Tooru. From the personality that made Iwaizumi’s heart beat too fast to the way he moved his body, his posture… From that sweet voice, only mildly disguised by the mask, to that body that Iwaizumi had once wanted, had once laid with… Those lips that—  
   
 “Hey you fucker,” Oikawa yelled at him, “Don’t zone out when I’m talking to you! I asked if you were having a shit day. So answer me!”  
   
 Iwaizumi looked at him, letting seconds pass by as if they were something to spare.  
   
 “Don’t want to talk, huh?” He raised his rifle.  
   
 “Yeah,” he murmured. “I mean…” Iwaizumi shook his head. “I’m having a bad day. A really bad one.”  
   
 Oikawa’s rifle went up and eventually rested on his shoulder. “Well, boo hoo… what’s your deal anyway? I don’t see Lights fight like that unless they’ve gone berserk. What’s pissing you off?”  
   
 Iwaizumi glared. “You mean… besides the person standing in front of me?”  
   
 “Hm.” Skirt snorted. “Aren’t you funny?”  
   
 “What’s wrong, Skirt?” Iwaizumi glared. “Don’t have your little possy to hide behind?”  
   
 “I don’t hide behind them,” snapped Oikawa.  
   
 “No. You take care of them.” Iwaizumi laughed, and he didn’t know why. _Some people are ‘All’, others are ‘None’_. “You babysit them, don’t you? But you need them. If you want a sector, you can’t have it alone. You need at least five people. Sectin rules. Even if they’re babies you have to take care of them. You need them, but you need them stronger. And you, yourself, need to get stronger. The big mom of the group, huh? You’re not mom material.”  
   
 Oikawa grit his teeth. “Shut up!” He pointed his rifle forward. “Here I was, trying to be nice and—”  
   
 “Nice?” yelled Iwaizumi, “You? _Nice?_ When are you ever being nice? You fucking snap at everyone around you, blame everyone for your mistakes – you’re convinced, all the fucking time, that everything is about you! You, you who can barely take care of yourself–you who needs everyone else—you who is so broken inside that he doesn’t know how to even talk to another human being! You, you who can barely stop thinking about yourself, are convinced that you are the cause of everything, huh? Maybe people don’t want to see you. Maybe you’re so fucking draining to be around that nobody wants to be around you!”  
   
 Oikawa stared, eyes wide.  
   
 Iwaizumi, still yelling, screamed: “Have you ever thought of that, huh? Have you ever realised that nobody can stand you for more than five minutes, you fucking tool!”  
   
 Oikawa’s arms went limp, falling at his side. His grip on his weapon loosened, but he held on to them.  
   
 Iwaizumi froze, realising he said things that ‘Blade’ would have never known.  
   
 Oikawa simply said, soft in a whisper, broken in a whisper, “What?”  
   
 “N-Nothing!” Iwaizumi leaned back. The lamp post creaked. “Just fuck off. Leave me alone.” He fell backwards, opening a portal beneath him. He sunk into the darkness and hid away.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 The next day, Iwaizumi wasn’t sure what he was expecting; but, the smallest tug on his shirt as soon as he got to school, and Oikawa with bags under his eyes, saying a soft, “Hey,” as if it was a question wasn’t it.  
   
 Iwaizumi blinked. “Hey.”  
   
 Oikawa looked down. “Iwa-chan…” He tilted his head. “You don’t… Do you… I mean…” His eyes were fixed on an indefinite spot. “You don’t think I’m annoying, do you?” Oikawa looked up at him.  
   
 Iwaizumi stared, looking him in the eye. “What?” He feigned confusion. “Why would I think that?”  
   
 “No reason,” murmured Oikawa. He took a breath. “Um.” He tilted his head. “Someone… said something. That’s all. I just…”  
   
 Iwaizumi felt it; a raw flood inside him. He knew as much as he hated Skirt… he still loved Oikawa. As much as he wanted Skirt dead, he wanted Oikawa alive – and happy. He realised, when he attacked Skirt, he attacked Oikawa. When he wanted to break the invincible Skirt, he thrashed at the fragile Oikawa. They were one in the same. He sighed. He promised, didn’t he? He’d promise to always be honest to Oikawa Tooru. He promised he’d always be there for his boyfriend.  
   
 “Iwa-chan?”  
   
 “How long have you known this person?”  
   
 Oikawa blinked. “Um, not long…”  
   
 “Then forget them.” Iwaizumi waved the thoughts away (as if it was that simple). “I disagree. Completely.”  
   
 Oikawa’s lips formed a small smile. “Yeah?”  
   
 “Yeah.” Iwaizumi leaned in, kissing his cheek.  
   
 Oikawa looked around, slowly.  
   
 It took Iwaizumi a moment to realise Oikawa was nervous about being affectionate around people (he usually wasn’t, but with his foundation shaken…). “Let’s go to the roof,” he said softly. “We still have time before class starts.”  
   
 And so they went, up the stairs, Iwaizumi holding Oikawa’s hand each step.  
   
 When they were alone, Iwaizumi pulled him into a tight big hug, nuzzling his neck.  
   
 “Iwa-chan…” Oikawa nuzzled back. “I feel like… you’re going to break up with me…”  
   
 Iwaizumi blinked. “What?” A shot to his heart. “Why?”  
   
 “You’ve been avoiding me…”  
   
 “I was sick last week,” he reminded. “I get grumpy when I’m sick. I’m fine now.”  
   
 “I know, I know, but… I just…”  
   
 Iwaizumi moved away and grabbed Oikawa’s head. He brought it down (cursing their tiny height difference) and kissed Oikawa’s forehead. “Don’t be stupid,” he whispered.  
   
 Oikawa smiled, a little bigger this time but still a tiny smile compared to the gorgeous grin that usually were on his beautiful lips.  
   
 Iwaizumi knew he had to kiss Oikawa. He had to. But. Skirt. _I don’t want to,_ he realised. He leaned over and kissed his cheek instead. “You’re being silly,” he assured. Why did it leave a bitter-sour taste in his mouth?  
   
 Oikawa laughed. “Yeah, you’re right… You’re, you’re right.” He nodded, smile growing.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 They spent lunch together, one-on-one, eating sandwiches from the school store. They spent anime club cuddling. As usual. _Get off,_ Iwaizumi had wanted to yell, to scream, but he didn’t. He wanted to push Oikawa away. He wanted to push Skirt away. There was the thought of Skirt shooting his shoulder on one hand, and how fragile and weak Oikawa was on the other hand. The person in front of him was Skirt, but he was also Tooru. Skirt. Oikawa. _Prince._  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “Can I come over?” Oikawa was holding Iwaizumi’s right hand with both of his. He smiled, warmer than this morning. It was after school, after club, now. “Please?”  
   
 “I guess, yeah.” Iwaizumi nodded.  
   
 Oikawa kissed his cheek.  
   
 Iwaizumi moved away, just a bit, and joked a soft, “Don’t get all cute on me.”  
   
 Oikawa hugged his arm and laughed. “You didn’t used to mind.”  
   
 “Yeah I did. You just did it anyway.”  
   
 Oikawa nuzzled his shoulder.  
   
 Iwaizumi wanted to die.  
   
 They got to his home eventually, taking their time as they walked. Oikawa sidetracked them with another grocery store date (and Iwaizumi didn’t mind; he needed groceries anyway). They were walking home with enough bags to fill his fridge for a month (which was in much need of filling). The perk of that was that they could no longer hold hands or be affectionate in any way as they walked. They still walked side by side, too close for comfort, but Iwaizumi said nothing. It was like penance, really. It was doing something painful as retribution for the pain he had done to others.  
   
 When they got there, Iwaizumi opened the door and muttered, “Make yourself at home.”  
   
 Oikawa nodded and put his backpack down.  
   
 Iwaizumi busied himself with taking off his shoes. “Want anything to drink?”  
   
 “Water?”  
   
 Iwaizumi walked briskly to the kitchen and put the bags down. While he poured two glasses of water, Oikawa began putting things in the fridge. Iwaizumi helped until there was none left. “Here,” he offered the glass of water.  
   
 “Thanks!” Oikawa smiled at him softly. “How are you doing in math?”  
   
 “Um… decent.”  
   
 “Want to go over it?”  
   
 “Please.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Iwaizumi had never thought _Thank God for homework_ before, but now that it gave them something to do and it distracted them… Iwaizumi was a happy boy. He seemed to eventually somewhat understand the sections he missed the classes for and made note to go over them tomorrow as well. After that, he made dinner. He fried some fish, tuna that was on special, and made a quick miso soup to go with it. He paired it with some store bought cucumber salad and some rice. He arranged everything on a tray, everything having their own small plate, and served it with a mug of green tea. “Here. Dinner. Eat.”  
   
 Oikawa clapped excitedly. “Housewife Iwa-chan back in action!”  
   
 Iwaizumi snorted and put down two sets of chopsticks.  
   
 “Finally, some real food.” Oikawa grabbed a pair and put a piece of the fish in his mouth and moaned happily. “This is so good!”  
   
 “Real food?” Iwaizumi took his seat, breaking his tuna fillet into smaller pieces. It was still soft enough to break apart with little pressure. “What do you eat?”  
   
 “Microwavable garbage, or I order food.”  
   
 “Just… Eat up.” Iwaizumi drank his green tea and put the mug down. “Take care of yourself.”  
   
 “I’m not good at cooking!”  
   
 “You can be.”  
   
 “Everything I touch burns.”  
   
  _Like me?_ Iwaizumi glanced to his meal. “I doubt that.”  
   
 “No, it’s true! I’m the worst cook ever!”  
   
 “I could…” Iwaizumi looked up. “Teach you?”  
   
 Oikawa grinned, wide. “Yeah?”  
   
 “Yeah…”  
   
 Oikawa wiggled excitedly. “You won’t mind?”  
   
 “Will it…” Iwaizumi closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again. “Make you happy?”  
   
 “Yes! Iwa-chan, more than happy!”  
   
 “Then, sure…” Iwaizumi began eating. He avoided looking at Oikawa because that smile, that beautiful– t– x– smile was hard to look at. It burned, and made him feel warm, and made him feel loved but felt like he was being slaughtered all the same.  
   
 Slowly, bit by bit, the Tooru he knew was coming back. The fragile shaking thing he’d seen this morning had disappeared. The teasing came back, but Iwaizumi knew (if he wanted to; if he wasn’t careful) he could say only a few words to bring out that broken side, the jagged edges. After food they watched a movie, only because it was an easy way to kill two or so hours. Oikawa seemed pretty persistent and insistent about resting his head in Iwaizumi’s lap. Iwaizumi had tried to push him off, but his boyfriend was a bit like a hydra—if he cut one head off, two more would pop out and torment him.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 After the movie, Iwaizumi excused himself to do the dishes. Oikawa decided to help. “I might as well,” he said as if Iwaizumi was asking him to. Iwaizumi was not. They worked in silence. After they filled the dishwasher, there were still some dishes left so they did them by hand. Oikawa washed them and stacked them for Iwaizumi to dry them and put them away.  
   
 They worked in silence.  
   
 That was nice.  
   
 A little uncomfortable, but it was easy to be uncomfortable.  
   
 “So,” Oikawa began talking. And the silence was over. He did that every thirty or so seconds, talk talk talk about something or another. Iwaizumi listened, replied when he was asked a question, but mostly let Oikawa babble. Iwaizumi’s replies were pretty curt “Yes”es, “No”s, or “Maybe”s. He scoffed or snorted once or twice, laughing only once, but mostly focused on the dishes.  
   
 “You’re such a momma’s boy, Iwa-chan, no wonder you’re perfect housewife material!” Oikawa laughed. “Look at you, cooking, cleaning, doing the dishes right after dinner—not to mention you’re gay as fuck.”  
   
 That made Iwaizumi snicker, but he quickly frowned.  
   
 “I don’t see why your dad doesn’t want to live with you here. Oh my god, you really are like a housewife! But better! I bet, like, even if your mom was a total useless whore your dad would—”  
   
 Iwaizumi didn’t know what happened. One moment he had just put a dish down, the next moment Skirt had called his mother a whore. His hand soared, through the air. Oikawa, unfortunate enough to have his head turned to Iwaizumi as he talked, felt the blow. Iwaizumi backhanded him. The sound was a harsh slap; it echoed.  
   
 Oikawa looked down.  
   
 Iwaizumi’s face was in a fierce scowl.  
   
 Oikawa’s cheek took a second but soon it flared red. He winced, then pouted, tears in his eyes.  
   
 Iwaizumi’s mouth opened, hanging ajar, but no words came. “O-Oh, m-my G-God, Tooru! I didn’t mean to! Wh-What did I just…” He took a step back, staring at his boyfriend. “I didn’t mean to hit you, I just… I’m so sorry… I’m—Tooru, I…”  
   
 “Whoa…” Oikawa cupped his cheek, feeling the burning heat. “Wow. That was something.”  
   
 “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry—”  
   
 “Iwa-chan.” Oikawa looked up. “I’m so wet.”  
   
 “I’m sorry, I’m… What?”  
   
 “I’m…” He wiggled his hips. “Wet.”  
   
 Iwaizumi stared.  
   
 “So is this a good time to say I like getting a little knocked around in bed, or?” He swallowed hard, keeping eye contact. “Do you like choking? I love breath play. Ushijima really makes me feel like he’s crushing my throat. I’m a total masochist. And a sadist. You can do that again if you want.”  
   
 Iwaizumi stared, and his eyes narrowed, darkening. His stare turned into a glare. “Don’t.” He raised his chin, just a little. “Don’t you dare say that about my mom. Ever. Got it?”  
   
 “Huh?” Oikawa blinked. “Oh. Oh!” He meeped. “Oh… no, I… wow that’s not what I meant! I didn’t mean she was a whore, just like in general, like um… just like if she wasn’t ‘mom material’ your dad… would be fine because of your cooking, and… Okay, you know what? Can we just drop that. And pretend none of this happened?”  
   
 “Yes.” Iwaizumi seethed. He took a deep breath. “Sorry, I overreacted I just…”  
   
 “Sensitive topic,” Oikawa said softly. “You’re right. Sorry… it was my bad. I just kinda talked without thinking… But, you know, if you do want to smack me around a bit…”  
   
 Iwaizumi looked back to the dishes and grabbed the next one. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to smack Oikawa around, but he definitely wanted to smack Skirt around. Although that was hardly sexual in any way, just pure aggression. It was dangerous territory. “Not really my thing.”  
   
 “Oh. Okay. But if you ever want to try it…”  
   
 “Maybe later.”  
   
 “That’s not a no!”  
   
 Iwaizumi couldn’t help but smile.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 The next day, Oikawa was noticeably happier. Oikawa had gone home last night, instead of sleeping over, and Iwaizumi was pretty sure it was a blessing of some sorts by some kind of higher being. When Iwaizumi got to class, he noticed Sugawara was less happy than usual. He was giving more attention to Daichi, which meant Oikawa was all over Iwaizumi. _Take him from me,_ Iwaizumi wanted to say, but he didn’t.  
   
 When lunchtime came, Iwaizumi invited Suga and Daichi to join them (so it would be less one-on-one with Skirt), but they declined.  
   
 Iwaizumi commented that he’d never actually eaten at the cafeteria in Aoba Johsai. He wanted people around. He wanted some force to stop Oikawa from being too affectionate with him. The special was some udon, so they both got that. The food was decent, better than the other cafeterias Iwaizumi had eaten from (but that wasn’t exactly a compliment).  
   
 They got a table together.  
   
 Hinata dropped by, which was the second time he had saved Iwaizumi from Skirt. If Hinata, Fox, knew… what would he say, Iwaizumi wondered.  
   
 Tsukishima joined them as well, but he ate something he brought from home. As did Yamaguchi and Kageyama, who came as well.  
   
 The second year crew had come like a beacon of hope for him.  
   
 Tsukishima sat with them but didn’t talk much, more by himself. Yamaguchi’s face was quite red, but he talked a lot. Kageyama was obviously more awkward than normal (was he nervous?). It was kind of cute. Hinata and Oikawa carried the conversation, letting Iwaizumi zone out and focus on his meal. Tsukishima was also happy about that, he figured.  
   
 Iwaizumi looked up. “Do we have club today?”  
   
 “Nope.” Oikawa smiled. “Want to come over?”  
   
 Shouldn’t have asked. “Sure.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Iwaizumi sat on the train. Oikawa on one side, Suga on the other. They were mostly in silence since the train was packed and rather noisy today. Iwaizumi had done it out of obligation. He didn’t want to be here. He didn’t want to go to Oikawa’s house. Skirt. Skirt was next to him. His mind replayed the moment of Skirt almost killing him over and over and over. His eyebrows knit together and rage began to consume him. It wasn’t until he felt a soft hand on his arm.  
   
 Oikawa looked at him, seriously. “Are you okay?”  
   
 “Yeah.” He smiled. “Just thinking about math.”  
   
 When they got home, Suga gave them a small wave as he went off. They entered Oikawa’s place and Iwaizumi swallowed hard. He expected it to feel like home, but… He stiffened. His brain screamed at him: Enemy territory. He took a slow breath and looked around.  
   
 Oikawa tugged his arm. “Wanna cuddle?”  
   
 That was what they almost always did as soon as they got home, wasn’t it?  
   
 “Sure,” he murmured.  
   
  _Don’t you understand it’s unbearable being with you?_  
   
 They moved to Oikawa’s bed and hugged tight, feeling each other. Iwaizumi laid his head on Oikawa’s chest, hearing his heartbeat, feeling his warmth. He closed his eyes.  
   
 He played pretend.  
   
 He pretended Oikawa and Skirt were different people.  
   
 He nuzzled Oikawa’s chest, feeling those arms around him. He took a deep breath, taking in Oikawa’s scent. _Yeah, it smells like ‘I am a bottom bitch twink’ and ‘I want an older guy to fuck me against a wall’._ That had been a long time ago now. He smiled. Still, it was so fitting.  
   
 He didn’t know how long passed.  
   
 He looked up, glancing to the bedside table where Oikawa’s alarm clock usually stood. It wasn’t there now, but there was a black cord hanging out of one of the open drawers just beneath it. He assumed the alarm clock must have fallen. He moved away from Oikawa to grab it and suddenly heard Oikawa laugh.  
   
 “Naughty Iwa-chan. Scandalous. Are you trying to go through my sex toys?”  
   
 Iwaizumi paused. “What.”  
   
 Oikawa laughed and reached over to his bedside table. “Want to see what I have?”  
   
 “You can’t buy sex toys.” Iwaizumi looked at him. “You’re only seventeen.”  
   
 “Oh my God, you’re such a baby. You know how easy it is to order them online?” He scooted closer to the bedside table and pulled out something that was bright yellow. “Look it’s a dildo!”  
   
 Iwaizumi stared at it.  
   
 “I’ve got many. Look!” He pulled a few things out. “This is a vibrator, this is another dildo with nice ribs and bumps. Mmmmm. Feels good. Here’s one that’s plain. Love this one more.”  
   
 “You like the plain one more?”  
   
 “Plain ones are usually for anal.”  
   
 Iwaizumi just parroted, “Anal.”  
   
 “We don’t always have to put it in my cunt, _Ha_ -ji- _me_.”  
   
 Iwaizumi shivered. His face was heating up. “Yeah?”  
   
 Oikawa grinned. “Oh yeah.” He put some toys back then pulled out something that looked like a double edged sword of the sex world. “This one’s double sided. It’s a strap-on. Koushi likes it when I use this one on him.”  
   
 Iwaizumi remembered how Oikawa and Sugawara, drunk, were kissing passionately. Now he was thinking of them fucking. Iwaizumi’s hands were sweating. He thought of Oikawa on top of Suga, thrusting his hips as Suga whimpered and moaned. Iwaizumi swallowed hard. “Mhm?” he asked, an octave too high.  
   
 “Iwa-chan… You look interested in this one.” Oikawa waved it around. “Do you want me to fuck you?”  
   
 Iwaizumi blushed. “Well, yeah…” He shrugged. “I mean. Why wouldn’t I?”  
   
 Oikawa grinned. He wiggled closer to Iwaizumi and kissed his jaw. “Then maybe we should…”  
   
  _Skirt._  
   
 Oikawa winked. “You know.”  
   
  _This is Skirt._  
   
 Iwaizumi swallowed hard. “Maybe this isn’t a good idea…”  
   
 Oikawa paused. “Why?”  
   
 “I’m… not in the mood?”  
   
 “Hajime I feel your boner.”  
   
 “Can we…” Iwaizumi closed his eyes. “Put these away?”  
   
 Oikawa laughed, taking no offense. “Too much?”  
   
 “Yeah. Maybe later.”  
   
 “Okaaayy,” Oikawa’s voice was so sing-song, like a melody. He put his stuff away.  
   
 “I’m gonna get a glass of water,” murmured Iwaizumi.  
   
 “Okay! Get me one too!”  
   
 Iwaizumi got up, leaving the room. He walked to the kitchen and chugged a glass of ice water. He looked up, to the ceiling. _I have to call this relationship off._ He couldn’t take it anymore. _I need to break up with him._


	25. Shattered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is unbeta'd, so like always if you see any mistakes let me know! I do have dyslexia so even though I tripled my usual revision, I'm sure the smallest of errors hide somewhere or another from me. This chapter has my favourite scene in the whole fic, so I hope you enjoy! <3
> 
> * * *

 But they didn’t break up. Yes, a week ago, Iwaizumi Hajime, standing in Oikawa Tooru’s kitchen, had realised (without doubt) that the only way forward would be to break up with his boyfriend. But. He couldn’t. Any time he had wanted to bring it up… whenever he looked into those warm brown eyes… Iwaizumi took a sharp breath and talked about something else. Yes, a week ago, Iwaizumi Hajime realised there was no way forward; still, he tried. He tried to move forward.  
   
 The week was not an easy one.  
   
 “You know,” Oikawa said one day at lunch time. They had put their desks together and were eating out of bentos Iwaizumi had made. Iwaizumi had cooked shrimp the night before and added some smoked salmon this morning for a seafood combo. “The cherry blossoms are still in bloom.”  
   
 “Yeah?” Iwaizumi looked up at him. He had also made perfect cubes of sticky rice this morning and put food colouring to make them look cute and different. A small green cube of rice was between his chopsticks, hanging midair. “Are they usually in bloom this long?”  
   
 “It varies year to year, to be honest.” Oikawa looked out the window. “Last year they lasted like four days. Everyone’s grandpa was convinced the end was near and old ladies put out offerings in front of their house for the spirits, or some shit. I don’t know. It was on the news.” He shrugged. He looked back at Iwaizumi. “We never went to that road, you know. Not road. River. The one with five hundred cherry blossoms.”  
   
 “No we haven’t,” Iwaizumi murmured. “Where is it? On the east side? The cherry blossoms have died out there.”  
   
 “No it’s on the west side.” Oikawa smiled. “They should still be there, if you want.”  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled. “Nice.” He looked away.  
   
 Oikawa eyed him carefully.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “You know,” said Oikawa as he walked along the rooftops. The sun was just setting over the horizon. He had his chainsaw in one hand, rifle in the other. “Every single time you show your ‘face’ around here… I always wonder when I’ll actually get to see your stupid face. I bet it’s ugly under there…” He smiled. “Haven’t seen you in a while though. Cooking up something for me?”  
   
 “Something along those lines,” came the smooth, melodic voice of Angel. His wings were spread out as he hovered in place. He was only a foot above the ground, facing Oikawa. “And sorry, but I won’t be showing you my face any time soon.”  
   
 Oikawa forced a little smile. “That’s fine. I didn’t expect you to, probably too scary-looking, huh?”  
   
 “Something like that.”  
   
 Oikawa kept his smile up.  
   
 Angel cocked his head to the side. His wings came closer to his body and he slowly drifted down to the ground. His robe was made of white silk, but he was barefoot. His right foot touched down first, just the ball, then the heel. His left foot had the heel raised, though, when it touched the ground. “You won’t attack?”  
   
 “Not yet.” Oikawa raised his chin ever so slightly. “I want to make a deal with you.”  
   
 Behind Angel’s cross-mask, his eyes narrowed dangerously.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Iwaizumi was walking home. Two days had passed since having lunch with Oikawa. It felt like time was just… fading, fading away. Slipping away. His homework was piling up and he was managing to keep on top of it, somehow. Oikawa helped, of course. With math, mostly. They had finally switched units, to something Iwaizumi was far more comfortable with. Oikawa had still wanted to help him with math, though. In some ways it had become a ritual, a sort of… staple of their relationship. Iwaizumi played along.  
   
 His phone buzzed, twice.  
   
 He pulled it out of his pocket and saw Oikawa had sent him two messages: one picture, one text.  
   
 The picture was of Oikawa, on his back, in just a black pair of undies that had white paw prints on them, also wearing a pair of cat ears that blended seamlessly with the colour of his hair. He was making a pawing motion, dirty smile on his lips. Although Oikawa had some muscle to him, he tried to look as innocent and submissive as possible.  
   
  _[Oikawa Tooru, 4:17pm] cum pet the pussy~_  
   
 Iwaizumi stopped walking. He stopped breathing. “F-Fucking dumbass!” He closed his phone, shoving it in his pocket.  
   
 He ran the rest of the way home.  
   
 When he got there, he pulled his phone out again, looking at the photo again.  
   
 It was like a flood: Desire, warmth, passion, hate, want, anger, need, depression, Love. It all hit him with so much force he felt light headed. Dizzy. He put his phone down and pinched the bridge of his nose, screwing his eyes shut.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “Aniki!”  
   
 “Otouto!” Oikawa hugged the big noodle and then ruffled his hair. “Hey Lev.”  
   
 Lev smiled wide.  
   
 “What’s up, Noodle-chan?”  
   
 Sugawara, who sat at the kitchen counter near the front entrance, looked up from his biology textbook. “You could have knocked before you barged in, Tooru.”  
   
 Oikawa wanted to reply, but—  
   
 Lev started screaming, “What does it mean when a boy asks you to go to a coffee shop place thing?”  
   
 Oikawa blinked. “Huh?”  
   
 Suga sighed. “Actually, it’s good you’re here. Lev’s got a date and he’s freaking out. I can’t study.”  
   
 Lev whimpered. “Sorry…” His lower lip wibbled and his eyes began tearing up. “I’ve just. Never had a date before—am I even sure it’s a date?”  
   
 Oikawa eyed him. “Yaku?”  
   
 “Long ago night!” Lev yelled the kanji of his name. “Yeah, Yaku-san!”  
   
 Oikawa grinned. “I’m surprised Yaku-chan has a face left from how hard you almost sucked it off last time I saw you guys together.”  
   
 Lev frowned. “Am I bad at kissing?”  
   
 “No,” Oikawa said in a laugh. “It was a joke. Lev: Just breathe, okay? When’s your date?”  
   
 “Tomorrow, afternoon! I’m freaking out!”  
   
 “Awwww.” Oikawa smiled and pet the noodle again. “You don’t want to overthink it. Just be you, okay?” He slipped by Lev and walked towards the kitchen. He opened up one of the cupboards and hummed. “I’ve got to head out tonight, Lev-chan, so I can’t help either.” He pulled out a box of tea.  
   
 Suga looked up, eyeing how Oikawa just made himself at home. He usually wouldn’t mind, but…  
   
 “I love this stuff,” whispered Oikawa as he took a tea sachet. It was a black tea blend with roses. It was Suga’s mom’s favourite (she always had three boxes full of them in her pantry). He turned around and smiled. “Anyway, I’ll talk to you tomorrow okay? I’m heading out.”  
   
 Lev blinked once, twice. “Where are you going at a time like this? It’s almost midnight!”  
   
 Oikawa just smiled. “Out.”  
   
 Suga didn’t look up from the textbook. “More secrets,” he murmured.  
   
 Oikawa stared at him, feeling a little stab in his chest.  
   
 “Hnnn!” Lev made strange noises. They were not, however, train noises. “Okay okay, I just gotta keep breathing!”  
   
 “Yes.” Oikawa smiled. He grabbed Lev’s head and pulled it down, kissing his cheek. “Good luck, okay?”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Dark.  
   
 Iwaizumi moved through the night. Another storm? The Dark seemed to be attacking… but something was wrong. Would it be another attack? He slashed through small fry here and there, jumping from rooftop to rooftop as he eyed the streets. Something was definitely wrong. He had seen Fox, Hinata, firing blasts of fire, while Staff, Tsuki, shot blasts of water. They had started side by side, but now they were two streets apart. The other Tsukishima, the older one, Rod, has also distanced himself. And then, “Ah,” Iwaizumi said. He understood the plan.  
   
 They were trying to separate the Lights.  
   
 The beasts were smaller than usual. There weren’t any big ones, weren’t anything that would need more than one person to kill.  
   
 Iwaizumi landed on the street. It was a boulevard: It was a long, thin street with two lanes, separated by a small path between them. He eyed the monsters that flied around him. In the city of Yokohama, the cars drove by unknowing of the fight happening. The only thing they would realise would be that the clouds were black, the skies look haunted, and that they would suddenly feel a need to go home.  
   
 The monsters faded around him.  
   
 Iwaizumi closed his eyes. “Skirt…”  
   
 Oikawa dropped down behind him, butterfly wings bright and expanded. “Hello Blade-chan-san.”  
   
 Iwaizumi looked over his shoulder. “Bringing out your wings already, huh?”  
   
 “Oh of course.” He raised his rifle, aiming it at Iwaizumi. “You’re a tricky motherfucker. I respect your battle prowess, which is why I’m not going to insult you by pretending I’m substantially stronger than you. If I don’t bring out every weapon I have, then I might not win. And I can’t have that.”  
   
 “Skirt,” he said as he turned around. “I’m not your enemy.”  
   
 “Enemy or not: It doesn’t matter anymore.” Oikawa’s grip on his weapon tightened. “You know why you’re a threat to me? It’s more than just your power. It’s more than just your combat skills… You’re ruining me. Fox, Staff, Rod… they’re all growing to like you. The more you save us, the more they realise you’re an important part of this sector. You understand that, don’t you?”  
   
 “I do…” Iwaizumi sighed. He shook his head. “But we’re on the same side! I’m not with Angel!”  
   
 “I know you’re not.” Oikawa swallowed hard. “But you’re just thinking about yourself when you say we can all be friends, that we can all work together… Don’t you get it? You’re not committed. You’re not a part of this Sector. One day… you could just up and leave. And Fox, Staff, Rod… everyone who relied on you, everyone who says you saved us, everyone who has relied on you because you _have become_ an important part of this sector (whether you admit it or not) – all of them will be in danger. Don’t you get that? You’ve become one of our lines of defence… the minute you leave… We’ll be defenceless… We’ll rely on you, expect you, and die because you have no obligation to save us.”  
   
 Iwaizumi stared.  
   
 “Blade, you’re giving us a false sense of security… and fighting the Dark is dangerous. False security in life and death is the same as killing us yourself.”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s eyes softened. “I don’t want to hurt you.”  
   
 “And I,” admitted Oikawa, “Don’t want to hurt you either. But…” He shook his head. “I’ve made my decision, and I’ll stick by it. Right, or wrong, I will kill you here and now. One of us will die today. That’s it. No more games. No more chasing: This is it. Nothing can change my mind anymore.” Behind his mask, he smiled.  
   
 Iwaizumi closed his eyes. From the blurry bits of Oikawa’s face that he could see behind that mask, he knew exactly which smile that was. The sad one. So… Oikawa had come to like Iwaizumi, and Blade. Iwaizumi knew, without a doubt, that this was it. _If I tell him who I am… it’ll just make it harder for him to kill me…_ Iwaizumi summoned his blades, one in each hand. When he took his stance, five more blades appeared mid-air, floating there, on standby. _I have to do this…_ His eyes narrowed. _I don’t have a choice, I…_  
   
 Oikawa fired—a beam of photon, the quantum of light; electromagnetic radiation.  
   
 Iwaizumi back flipped, dodging it. He landed in a sprint and charged Oikawa. He swung his blades, one horizontal, the other vertical.  
   
 Oikawa, quick footed, dodged by kicking off the ground in several directions, moving backwards like a blur. He fired another shot.  
   
 Iwaizumi slashed at the bullet, deflecting the light to the side.  
   
 Oikawa frowned; twisting his body to gain momentum, he slashed his chainsaw down.  
   
 Iwaizumi jumped back again.  
   
 Oikawa chased.  
   
 Iwaizumi moved back, onto the sidewalk. Shit. Too many people. He parried Oikawa’s strike with his own.  
   
 “Running away, are you?” Oikawa struck again, chainsaw locking with Iwaizumi’s blade, sparks of white and black spilling from where contact occurred. Civilians walked through them, flickering their images. It was an odd experience, blurring their sense of reality.  
   
 Iwaizumi crouched low and shot back up, breaking their bladelock by shoving Oikawa back. He did a front flip, over Oikawa, and began running. _Fuck._ He scowled. _I just… I can’t…_  
   
 Oikawa’s wings widened and he growled. He began running as well. Absorbing the residual light in the air, he began running faster, chasing and chasing.  
   
 Iwaizumi jumped up, onto the rooftops, knowing Oikawa was going to catch up. He began running further and further from the heart of the city.  
   
 “Got you!” Oikawa appeared right above Iwaizumi and swung his chainsaw down.  
   
 Iwaizumi blurred into black mist, and reappeared six feet to the side. He landed on another rooftop and kept running. Several rifle shots tried to get him but he kept moving. Every time Oikawa caught up and tried to slice him in two – he used the same tactic: Disappear and reappear. It wasn’t easy to do, and it was taxing. He knew he couldn’t keep it up, and Oikawa was still chasing him. He jumped off a building and summoned his large two-hander. Spinning his body, he threw it like a boomerang.  
   
 Oikawa, eyes wide, narrowly dodged by changing his trajectory with his wings. He landed on the side of a building but jumped up again. Hearing the vorpal, twisted sound of wind, he realised the blade was indeed a boomerang – it would come back for him. But he was ready. He spun mid-air and slashed at the two-handed sword, deflecting it. He landed on another building and chased again.  
   
 Iwaizumi grit his teeth.  
   
 Oikawa chased.  
   
 Iwaizumi kept running, running. It came to the point where majority of the skyscrapers and tall buildings were behind them. He realised he had left the city and nodded. Good. Maybe in a natural setting he could lose Oikawa easier. Maybe he could move to—  
   
 “Got you!” Oikawa’s left knee connected with Iwaizumi’s stomach, making him scream. Oikawa smiled. He had been neck-to-neck with Iwaizumi until he turned in a sharp right angle to connect the attack. When Iwaizumi’s body moved away from the force, he used his right foot to kick him violently.  
   
 Iwaizumi barely registered pain before he crashed to the ground, rolling amongst dirt and grass, hearing the faint sound of water. He looked up.  
   
 Oikawa descended gracefully – beautifully – weapons in hand. “How romantic of you to bring me here, Blade.”  
   
 “What?” Iwaizumi looked behind him.  
   
 Ookagawa River. They were wrong. It wasn’t five hundred cherry blossoms surrounded this one river: It was eight hundred. The river was beautifully light blue even at night, moonlight’s grace made the pink sakura look even more like a painting.  
   
 “But.” Oikawa aimed his rifle. “I already have a boyfriend.”  
   
 Iwaizumi closed his eyes, keeping his head down. “He must be happy.”  
   
 “Eh?” Oikawa gave an angry smile. “More games, huh? More sarcasm of yours?”  
   
 “No… I’m serious.” Iwaizumi got up, slowly, keeping his eyes down. “He must be happy with you. I mean that. You’re incredible.”  
   
 Oikawa eyed him, brows knitting together.  
   
 “You’re strong.” Iwaizumi smiled. “But you’re not cruel… If you really wanted to _kill,_ like your mother does, then I would be long gone by now, no?”  
   
 Oikawa suppressed the urge to gasp sharply. “How much of my identity do you know?”  
   
 “Nothing,” he lied. “Only the rumours.”  
   
 “Rumours?”  
   
 “Between the girl that’s the manager, and the three of them that are from the abnormal unit, I’ve put some pieces of information together. I don’t know much about Tokyo… but I know the leader runs it like a blood ring. I don’t know much about her,” that wasn’t a lie, “But I know you’re her son… I’m glad…” He took a deep breath. “I’m glad that you don’t have it in you, to kill easily. I respect that.”  
   
 Oikawa’s jaw tightened.  
   
 “I… I’m the same, I think. I, too… I can kill. I can do it. But I won’t. I don’t want to. I don’t have it in me to kill another person.”  
   
 Oikawa lowered his gun, biting his lower lip. “Blade…” He closed his eyes for a moment. “Enough…” He lowered his head, hair hiding his eyes. “Lies!” He brought the gun up and fired. “Liar!” He charged forward, swiping his chainsaw in a wicked uppercut arc. “I’ll kill you here—now!”  
   
 Iwaizumi dodged the bullet and brought up his blades to block. The swing, however, had so much force that not only did his weapons break on impact, but he was thrown into the air.  
   
 Oikawa jumped off the ground and dismissed his gun to hold his chainsaw with both hands, screaming. He swung, a direct hit, against Iwaizumi’s chest; and, after Oikawa’s chainsaw left Iwaizumi’s body, the rest of the swing was coloured dark red from blood, bits of metal flying from shattered armour.  
   
 Iwaizumi blasted downwards. He broke the river’s surface with an eruption of water, spraying bright blue into the air. He sunk down, down into the water. There, in that serene, serene blue he noticed little pink petals that had fallen with him, and the red mist that was his blood leaking into the water. He closed his eyes. _Tooru… did we really just come together again…_ The river began to take him, carry him downstream. _Just so we could rip each other apart?_ He frowned, gritting his teeth hard. _Is that all we’re made for? Isn’t there more to life than—_  
   
 Oikawa’s bullets broke through the surface, aiming everywhere to shoot him.  
   
 Iwaizumi back flipped in the water and pressed his feet against the bottom. The current ran over him, from head to toe. He squished his eyes shut.  
   
 Oikawa, above the water, landed on the surface, feet elegantly moving with the waves. He looked down, trying to find his enemy, who had been washed under, washed away. He wondered if he should move more downstream, but… His eyes widened.  
   
 With the same intensity that Iwaizumi fell into the river, he broke out, a massive column of water, a fierce explosion of blue – but all he could see was red. He swung his arms outwards and blades appeared, one after another, behind him, hanging mid-air. “If that’s your choice, so be it!” He swung his arm forward and the blades shot out, one after another, in violent succession.  
   
 Oikawa felt one stab his leg and another graze his shoulder before he used his wings as a shield.  
   
 Iwaizumi back flipped and two blades clutched onto his feet. He landed on the ripples of the water’s surface and blurred forward, skating along the liquid. He swung.  
   
 Oikawa spread his wings in time to parry the strike with his chainsaw. He spun and fired his rifle.  
   
 Iwaizumi dodged to the side and cut back with a quick attack. “Damn you!”  
   
 “I can’t have unknowns!” He blocked the strike and swung again. “I can’t have them in my sector!” Another parry. “My sector is shameful!”  
   
 “You’re just a kid!” yelled Iwaizumi, shooting blades.  
   
 Oikawa blasted them away with a strong gust of his wings. “What?”  
   
 “People don’t usually get their own sector until their thirties… you’re just seventeen—not even out of high school yet!”  
   
 Wrong move.  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes widened. Blade knew too much. He charged forward, the water surrounding him like a tunnel of force. It opened like the red sea. Maybe this time it really would crush his enemies. He slashed up again.  
   
 Iwaizumi was once again thrown upwards, but he was ready for it. He spread his body like a star; a wheel of blades spun behind him before, one by one, they blasted forward.  
   
 Oikawa flew upwards, screaming, water following him like moths to a flame. He dodged the several blades that fired at him and swung his chainsaw. Sword hit sword and they stayed still for a moment, blades locked.  
   
 They hung in pitch black sky, bits of blue water molecules, pink petals, drips of red blood from both, moonlight of a full moon illuminating them.  
   
 Iwaizumi disappeared.  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes widened, looking at the black mist in front of him. He barely had a chance to turn his body around before—  
   
 “I.” Iwaizumi shoved a sword into his chest. “Never wanted to hurt you.”  
   
 Oikawa stared at him, only being able to make a strained vocal noise instead of words.  
   
 “I’m so sorry…” Iwaizumi closed his eyes before kicking Oikawa off his blade, sending him surging downwards. He created two wheels of blades and fired them all at the same time.  
   
 Many of them missed, but many of them stabbed Oikawa in several different spots. He hit the water and disappeared under the tide.  
   
  _I have to finish him off…_ Iwaizumi saw a bridge up ahead and aimed his body so he landed on it. The cavity in his chest, where Oikawa had shattered the armor, was beginning to regenerate. Although he had just stabbed Oikawa in the chest, he knew that too would be regenerating with every second that passed. He looked around him, trying to find Oikawa. _I have to finish him, but…_ He looked down, and jumped back.  
   
 Oikawa broke through the bridge, sending wooden splinters everywhere. His chainsaw swiped at Iwaizumi. He was blocked, but the force threw them back.  
   
 They landed on opposite sides of the river.  
   
  _I can’t._ Iwaizumi screwed his eyes shut. _I guess I’m just… weak. I’m indecisive. I can’t make decisions. I can’t do what I have to do. I’m not him. I’ll never be._ Knowing, now, that he could never win. “Darkness.” He raised a hand and created a thick black swirl. It was his usual portal. He turned around and jumped in.  
   
 He submerged in a thick liquid, all sound gone. Enveloped completely in shadows, black and purple, sometimes flashes of red or blue, but it didn’t matter. It really was like an ocean, but thicker, and darker, dwelling with God knows what… He found comfort in it; and, yet, he never wanted to stay long.  
   
 “Blade!” Oikawa dove in after him; he was like a beam of light, bright and shining, glimmering, sparkling. “Get back here!” His skin instantly turned pale as he sunk into the purple and black world of the shadows between. His glowing aura began to flicker painfully. On his face, blue lines appeared. His veins, being pushed to the surface, widening, sickening. He choked, unable to breathe, but he forced himself forward.  
   
 Iwaizumi turned around. “What the hell are you doing?” he yelled, “You’re light elemental! Darkness will kill you!”  
   
 “You said…” Oikawa choked. “You, can’t…” He closed his eyes, and screamed. “You can’t kill someone, huh!?” He grinned, going mad. “So let’s put that theory! To! The test!”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s eyes widened.  
   
 Darkness opened, rippling into the world of Light.  
   
 They blasted inside a busy street, downtown. It was a wide street, five lanes both ways. They both hit the ground, rolling, toppling over. But both of them got up, instantly.  
   
 Oikawa was limping.  
   
 Iwaizumi shook his head. “Please…”  
   
 The back of Oikawa’s outfit was soaked red. His wings were flickering, cracked, and the cracked glass pierced his flesh. He whimpered, holding back sobs. He shook his head. “I have to…”  
   
 Iwaizumi shook his head again. “Please…”  
   
 Rain began to fall. It was just a few drops, then a drizzle.  
   
 Oikawa looked up. “I’ve made my decision.”  
   
 “Tooru…” whispered Iwaizumi, low enough that the rain would mask his words. He opened his hands, summoning blades. _Why don’t I just let him kill me?_ Iwaizumi’s eyes snapped open. _Because I want to live too._ He frowned. _You forced me into this… you forced me into everything, Tooru… You’ve gone mad. You’ve lost it. Maybe… maybe you really are your mother. In that case… for Shouyou, for Kei…_ He summoned more blades, on standby. _For them… I have to make sure you will – never – be their Sector Leader!_  
   
 Oikawa took his breather, then forced himself to take his battle stance. “You look serious… Ready to finally stop running away? I have people I have to protect.”  
   
 “So do I.” Iwaizumi frowned. He pointed a blade towards Skirt. “I won’t let you ruin this Sector, Oikawa Tooru!”  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes widened. A deep, heavy growl burned in his throat before he charged forward, swinging his chainsaw violently.  
   
  _I hope you can forgive me._ Iwaizumi dodged and swung back. Sword hit chainsaw, sparks flew; they hit again, and again, becoming a repetition of sound as they fought. Cars zoomed by and rain became a torrent overhead. They fought, mercilessly, to the death.  
   
 Oikawa lifted his hands above his head, putting his chainsaw and his rifle together. They fused into a glowing chainsaw and Oikawa swung a wide arc, releasing a burning white crescent-shaped beam forward.  
   
 Iwaizumi was hit, head on, and he flew back. He landed on his feet, feeling a deep sting and charged forward. He front flipped over a car and slammed his blade down.  
   
 Skirt deflected the strike with his empowered chainsaw and swung again—roaring as he swung.  
   
 Iwaizumi created his two hander and it began to burn black. He swung as well, but – as always – Oikawa Tooru was stronger than Iwaizumi Hajime. A fact that could no longer be denied. Across all ten lanes, Iwaizumi was thrown back, slamming against the wall of some soba shop.  
   
 Oikawa’s glowing chainsaw soon separated, into two weapons. He fired several dozen shots from his rifle and followed them up with two slashes.  
   
 Iwaizumi dodged, as well as he could, but a blow to his shoulder knocked him off balance. Oikawa’s strike hit him in the side, but his own swing slammed Oikawa’s elbow. They both grit their teeth and separated.  
   
 Oikawa jumped back, several feet and dismissed his chainsaw. His rifle was pointed upwards. The blue line that ran through it began to glow bright, brighter. “You know you made fun of me, before…” The blue turned to purple – and for a moment Iwaizumi feared that Oikawa had more up his sleeve – but it turned out to be just a blur of purple since it was going from blue to red. “… for having a special move.”  
   
 Iwaizumi took a defensive stance. He summoned several blades in the sky.  
   
 Oikawa breathed, slowly. Red energy whirled around him in rings, rings lined with runes and magic circles. He laughed, hollow, loud. A strange, inhuman laugh that echoed in the city, louder than the ceaseless rain. He aimed his gun down, to Iwaizumi and pulled the trigger. “Magnetism!”  
   
 What happened next, ripped apart reality.  
   
 Electromagnetic energy became a vortex, a void; Light became a black hole, devouring the street around them. Iwaizumi knew blue was electromagnetic energy, photon. But red was purely – as Oikawa had said – magnetic. Iwaizumi realised, only too late, that his weapons were made of metal, that his armor was made of metal, that he was defenseless.  
   
 That this was his one weakness.  
   
 The beam that fired from Oikawa’s blade was red, burning red. Iwaizumi’s own blades shot forward, against his will. Streetlights ripped out upwards, sending sparks flying, metal from the entire street shot out of every store window, shattering glass from all directions. Pipes ripped out of the concrete beneath them, cars were yanked off the ground. They all clumped together, crunching together in one sphere that grew and grew. It was a ball of spiky metal that was racing towards him.  
   
 Iwaizumi ran. He felt his own armour slow him down so, piece by piece, it dissolved into black mist. He ran faster. His mask would hide his identity, for the most part. His t-shirt and jeans were hardly recognisable. Hopefully. Horror and fear hit him like whips on his back, forcing him to keep moving. As he ran down the street, he dodged flying cars and streetlights; watches and cellphones were flying at him, but he dodged with ease. He jumped over a flying yellow car and landed in sprint, running as fast as he could.  
   
 A stop sign turned into a shuriken from how fast it was spinning right at him.  
   
 He dodged and kept running. He felt his own phone in his pocket being pulled. He grabbed it with his hand, and kept running.  
   
 Iwaizumi glanced over his shoulder.  
   
 It was right behind him.  
   
 When he looked forward.  
   
 A tall building stood at the end of the street.  
   
 A dead end.  
   
  _I won’t die._  
   
 Iwaizumi jumped high into the air; without his armour holding him back, his agility was tenfold.  
   
 The sphere of metal crashed against the building and broke apart; cars and phones and stop signs and watches and lamp posts and streetlights all broke away from each other.  
   
 Iwaizumi grabbed onto a ledge of the building, looking at the mess beneath him. He looked up, to the street, and saw the carnage that destroyed Yokohama. But he knew better than to relax.  
   
 “Magnetism!”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s eyes widened.  
   
 The junkyard pile of metal that stood right beneath him blasted upwards.  
   
 A stop sign slammed him in the leg, slicing the flesh and he lost his grip on the building. Chains and pipes hit him, every organ being ruptured by another chunk of metal. A car slammed, head-on, into his chest and he coughed out a flood of blood. It carried him up until he slipped off, and he began falling. He crashed down onto the rooftop of the tall building. He watched the flood of metal disappear upwards into the sky. His eyes widened. He knew what went up...  
   
 It began to fall.  
   
 Oikawa stood above the column of metal, wings stretched outwards. He hung in the sky, watching the destruction. It was only one street, but the destruction… He wondered, calmly, about the injuries of the innocents. Deaths, maybe? Most likely.  
   
 The column of cars and metals fell. Only about a fourth made it onto the rooftop where Blade was, while the rest fell to the streets below. The explosions from the cars were loud, echoing all the way up there. Fires started, loud raging ones, but the rain did its best to keep them down.  
   
 Oikawa drifted down, onto the rooftop.  
   
 Iwaizumi had put his phone back in his pocket (he had checked, to make sure it was still alive; his background picture of Oikawa Tooru—back when he was a eleven year old, a bit pudgy, acne flaring up, and before he had figured out how to make his bedhead presentable—was fine as ever). He resummoned his armour, and his weapons, and looked at Oikawa. He couldn’t stand, though. He fell to one knee every time he tried to get up.  
   
 Oikawa’s rifle had gone from red to purple to blue. He didn’t care. “Get up.”  
   
 Iwaizumi closed his eyes.  
   
 “I said get up!”  
   
 Iwaizumi growled, but did as he was told. He could barely stand, vision blurry, but he took a deep breath and looked up.  
   
 Oikawa threw himself forward.  
   
 Iwaizumi moved back, dodging the chainsaw. He twirled, stepping into a puddle of rain, and slashed Oikawa’s back. His weak point.  
   
 Oikawa screamed.  
   
 Iwaizumi’s eyes widened. He hated the sound of the person he loved screaming in pain. He wished he never heard it again.  
   
 Oikawa fell over, but pushed himself back up.  
   
 “Let’s just stop…” Iwaizumi’s eyes softened. “Tooru…”  
   
 “Don’t!” Oikawa’s gun began to glow bluer; it was charging up. “Don’t use my name…” His gun began to crackle, began to break. “Don’t pretend you know me!” He aimed his gun and pulled the trigger.  
   
 “Princ—” The photon bullet was stronger than before; it hit his shin and he fell over, hitting his face on the pavement. His mask cracked. He got up. “Please…” He looked up.  
   
 Oikawa ran over and swung again.  
   
 Iwaizumi moved back; the chainsaw sliced at his mask, cleaving it, sending the lower half flying off. Iwaizumi jumped backwards off the ground. He landed on his feet, but his bleeding shin made him fall to one knee again.  
   
 Oikawa brought up his gun and pulled the trigger… but nothing happened. The barrel of his gun opened up and there was a release of steam. Oikawa blinked. “Overheating? Now?”  
   
 “Looks like you broke your favourite toy.”  
   
 “I don’t need it!” Oikawa ran up to him and kicked Iwaizumi with such force that he went flying.  
   
 Iwaizumi was thrown off the building; he landed with a crash onto the rooftop of another, shorter building. He stayed limp, on the ground.  
   
 Oikawa stepped onto the edge of the roof, looking down at Iwaizumi. “Give my gun a few seconds and it’ll be good to go again. I promise. Meanwhile, your legs are too damaged to run. And you don’t have enough energy or darkness left to do your annoying magical teleporting thing.” He swallowed hard. “It’s over.”  
   
 Iwaizumi eyed him. It was funny, looking at Oikawa sideways. But there was a light that caught his attention.  
   
 Oikawa glanced to the side as well.  
   
 “Hear my choirs,” sung Angel as he opened gates of light.  
   
 “What are you—” Oikawa screamed as several blasts hit him, throwing him down. He got up, glaring. “We had a deal!”  
   
 “Tsk. Aww.” Angel laughed, loud. “You should never make a deal with an angel, Love. We’re just another kind of demon.” His wings widened and more gates appeared. They were brighter than before. “I could care less about Blade. We all know you’re the stronger one—you’re the one I want to ruin!”  
   
 The choirs screamed.  
   
 The beams fired.  
   
 Oikawa tried to open his wings, but with Iwaizumi’s slash from earlier they were too damaged. He was hit, head-on, by another barrage. He back flipped and aimed his gun. Steam was still pouring out of it. “Come on, come on…”  
   
 Angel opened his arms, wider gates began to appear all around him. They opened; but, instead of firing, they condensed into his hand, charging up a beam that was hot white. More gates appeared; more gates were sucked in. Angel gasped, as if the energy was so strong it burned his own hand. Behind his mask, he gave a devil’s smile.  
   
 “Come on!” Oikawa screamed; his gun was still cooling down. His wings were broken, legs too strained to dodge any more. He was at his end. “Come on!”  
   
 Angel was drowned in light, so brilliant, it condensed and condensed, forming a sphere that had enough energy to slaughter hundreds.  
   
 “Come on!” Oikawa had tears streaming down his face. “Please…”  
   
 He didn’t know where it came from, but it was a surge. A surge of darkness flooding around him. Iwaizumi’s eyes snapped open.  
   
  _“I love you, Hajime.”_  
   
 Angel screamed, reeling his head back. “Just die!” He sent his blast forward, at the speed of light.  
   
  _I won’t make it in time…_ Iwaizumi lunged forward. “Tooru!”  
   
 A light always creates a shadow; and, although the light comes first, they appear to both happen instantaneously.  
   
 Iwaizumi threw himself between them, just as Angel’s blast hit him. He heard parts of his armour break, parts of his body break, parts of his mind break. He began falling, falling between the skyscrapers. He heard vague sounds, of wind, of Oikawa’s gun going off, of Angel screaming, but Iwaizumi couldn’t focus. He fell, wind grazing his body, feeling oddly refreshing, as the light in his eyes… _There’s got to be more,_ he thought, _to life… than this…_  
   
 Iwaizumi’s consciousness faded; he sunk into the darkness of his mind. He barely heard the falling rain any more, just knew it was over.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 When he woke up, he saw a face. It was blurry. The rain had stopped… no, it hadn’t. Just the face above his had blocked the rain from getting into his eyes. He still felt rain on his fingers, on his legs. As he looked at the face, he whispered – softly, “Prince?”  
   
 “Yeah,” said Oikawa in a low voice, barely a whisper, “It’s me…”  
   
 Iwaizumi blinked once, twice. He didn’t move his head as he looked around. Oikawa was on his knees, looking over him. Oikawa… Skirt. He was wearing Skirt’s clothes. The knee-high black socks, light blue skirt, black sports bra, unbuttoned light blue dress shirt… but with no mask. That face, that body… Iwaizumi smiled. “You’re beautiful.”  
   
 Oikawa smiled sadly, but his eyes crinkled at the corners like a real smile. “Such a charmer, Hajime…” His voice was too weak, though. “Such… such a charmer…”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s eyes widened. Realisation. “My mask…?”  
   
 “It broke…” Oikawa looked at him. “It was already damaged… Angel’s last beam, well…” He looked down, to the spot next to Iwaizumi’s head.  
   
 Iwaizumi looked as well.  
   
 He saw his mask, vertical, broken to five pieces, arranged neatly. “Angel?”  
   
 “I couldn’t finish him off,” admitted Oikawa. The rain continued to fall. “But I got him pretty good… He retreated.” He closed his eyes. “Sorry, guess he’s going to keep pissing us off.”  
   
 Iwaizumi looked up at him. He reached up, cupping Oikawa’s cheek.  
   
 Oikawa’s sad smile didn’t leave his face. He leaned into the touch.  
   
 The skies began to light up, but it was hard to tell with the night sky. Beams of moonlight appeared through the breaking clouds. The rain lightened, but didn’t stop. It would never stop, maybe. Down below, on the street, there was sounds of police sirens wailing and whatnot, but those sounds faded before they made their way up to them.  
   
 The two of them stayed like that.  
   
 Oikawa closed his eyes. “Hajime…”  
   
 “Tooru…”  
   
 “You don’t look surprised to see me…” Oikawa kept his eyes shut. “How long, exactly, have you… How long did you—”  
   
 “Skirt!” yelled a higher voice.  
   
 Oikawa looked up.  
   
 Iwaizumi moved his hand away from his face.  
   
 Hinata landed with a splash. He was Fox, at the moment, horizontal mask and all. “We saw Angel and came as fast as we could and we…” He paused for a moment, looking between them. “Iwa… Iwaizumi-senpai?”  
   
 The two of them looked at him.  
   
 Hinata blinked. “Wait, are we taking our masks off?”  
   
 Oikawa shook his head. “It’s your choice.”  
   
 Iwaizumi sat up, slowly. “I know it’s you, Hinata.” Another splash as someone else joined them too. “And you already revealed yourself to me, Tsukishima.”  
   
 Tsukishima removed his mask, as did Hinata. He looked between them. “Is everyone okay?”  
   
 Oikawa didn’t reply right away. “Decent.”  
   
 “Wait!” Hinata yelled, “Blade is Iwaizumi-san!? That’s perfect!”  
   
 Iwaizumi swallowed hard.  
   
 Oikawa’s mouth was dry.  
   
 Even Tsukishima looked away.  
   
 Hinata grinned. “You guys don’t have to fight anymore: You’re boyfriends!”  
   
 Oikawa looked at him, tears in the corners of his eyes.  
   
 Iwaizumi looked down, letting out a noise.  
   
 Hinata looked between them. “Why are you guys…? This is good! This is a good thing! You two… You’re… you’re the cutest couple at school…” No one replied. Hinata began shaking. “Tsuki! Tsuki!” He grabbed Tsukishima. “Kei!” He clutched onto his arms. “They’re being stupid! Tell them to stop… We can all be on the same side!”  
   
 “You’re wrong,” murmured Tsukishima.  
   
 “Wh-What?”  
   
 “There’s nothing more concrete,” explained Tsuki, “Than something as abstract as ideals.”  
   
 Hinata shook his head. “What does that have to do with anything?”  
   
 “Oikawa-san,” Tsukishima said, an odd use of honourifcs for him, “Explained some of it to me… and I’ve overheard enough of your talks with Blade… with, Iwaizumi-san.” His eyes narrowed as well. At first Hinata thought it was anger, but soon realised it was from sadness. Tsukishima took in a shaky breath. “If you strongly believe in something… Like, let’s say… equality, or whatever… nothing will piss you off more than when someone believes the opposite.”  
   
 Hinata shook his head.  
   
 Tsukishima bit his inner cheek. “Shouyou… let’s go.”  
   
 “Kei! This is dumb! Tell them to stop being dumb! Who cares if they disagree on ideas—ideas are stupid! They love each other, they love—”  
   
 It was a roar, from Oikawa’s throat: _”Shut up!”_ It hit like the crack of thunder.  
   
 Hinata froze, while Iwaizumi flinched.  
   
 Tsukishima stood still, perfectly still.  
   
 Oikawa kept his head down, hiding his tears. “You honestly think, you honestly think something as _weak_ as love can hold people together? You’re an idiot!”  
   
 “You’re the idiot!” Hinata ran to Iwaizumi, grabbing him. “Say something!”  
   
 “I hate Sectin,” said Iwaizumi rather calmly. “I hate anyone who wants to work long-term, like a fucking dog, for Sectin. I hate their ideals, I hate what they stand for, I hate how they don’t value human life… I hate that they force you to live lives they want you to live, treat you like expandable body bags. It’s a system that supports the Blood Ring, and rewards it. It’s problematic and violent. It doesn’t matter if it’s Tooru, or even you… it doesn’t change that. If you don’t understand how deep this runs, then you don’t understand.”  
   
 “But…” Hinata stared.  
   
 “Shouyou,” came a fifth voice. Tsukishima Akiteru had his mask off as well, standing a foot away. “It’s not for us to decide how they live their lives.”  
   
   
 And the three of them left.  
   
   
 Leaving Iwaizumi with Oikawa.  
   
   
 “How long,” whispered Oikawa. “How long did you know it was me…?”  
   
 “About a week… maybe two.” Iwaizumi looked at him. “Not long.”  
   
 “Oh. Okay.” Oikawa nodded slowly. “Why didn’t you…?”  
   
 “I was…” Iwaizumi closed his eyes. “I was scared… I didn’t know what to do. I kept… I kept trying to think of… the right answer, the right thing to do… but… but…”  
   
 “Silly Iwa-chan.” Oikawa closed his eyes. “Sometimes there is no right answer… I don’t, I don’t… blame you. I don’t know what I would have done, to be honest…”  
   
 “You would have done something… unlike me, who was just… too scared to confront reality.”  
   
 “I would have done something,” he agreed. “Doesn’t mean whatever I did do would have been a good thing…”  
   
 Iwaizumi said nothing.  
   
 Oikawa looked at Iwaizumi. They held eye contact.  
   
 “So…”  
   
 “We’re over…” Oikawa said softly, “Aren’t we?”  
   
 Iwaizumi closed his eyes. “Yeah.”  
   
 Oikawa stood up slowly, raindrops pouring down his knees and skirt and everything. He grabbed his gun, putting it over his shoulder. “This is still my Sector.” He walked away, but paused. He looked back. “If you don’t follow my rules, I’ll…”  
   
 Iwaizumi rested his arm on one knee. “Kill me?”  
   
 “Don’t make me do it… Please… _please_ don’t make me do it.”  
   
 Iwaizumi stared at him. He got up, slowly, still staring. In the night wind and rain, they stood in silence. Until, finally, they turned their backs on each other.


	26. Mars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for all the support and lovely comments, ;-; I'm not worthy. <3
> 
> * * *

 Oikawa woke up, groggy. He knew, right away, that it had not – yet he playfully wondered if it had – been a dream. He played pretend. Then he saw himself in the mirror before his morning shower. There were faint red lines, faint bruises, all over his body. He remembered where Blade – Iwaizumi – had pierced his chest, where he slashed his shoulder, where… The wounds were recovering, almost gone. He lowered his head, hiding his eyes behind his hair. He didn’t know who he was hiding from (the world, maybe?). He slipped into the shower, taking a long hot one.  
   
 The water was steaming, and loud enough to hide his choked sobs.  
   
 He got out, got dressed, got his stuff.  
   
 He left, locking the door, and turned to Suga’s place. He knocked, twice, then went in. He forced a smile. “Koushi! Let’s go to school-chan-san!”  
   
 Lev peeked his head around the corner. In his hand was a bowl of cereal and there was a spoon sticking out of his mouth. He replied, with the spoon in his mouth, then took the spoon out and repeated the reply: “He already left, Aniki.”  
   
 “Huh?” Oikawa blinked. “Oh.”  
   
 “He said he wanted to meet Daichi-san before the volleyball practice! Morning practice.”  
   
 “Awwwww.” Oikawa smiled. “Have a good one, Lev!”  
   
 “Bye!”  
   
 “Good luck with your date!”  
   
 Lev started screaming.  
   
 Oikawa closed the door and walked to the elevator. When it went down, he felt his mood go with it. He needed Suga. Damnit, he did. When the elevator doors opened, he walked to the train station. His usual routine. He had gotten no text messages. Not from Iwaizumi, or Sugawara, or Hinata or anyone. He stopped by the convenience store, buying the big fluffy bread that was filling as fuck. He walked to school, in silence, no one stopping to talk to him. There was nothing in his shoe locker, no love letters, nothing.  
   
 He went up the stairs, to the third floor.  
   
 Sugawara.  
   
 Suga was walking towards him, smile on his lips. Suga noticed him and waved.  
   
 Oikawa felt his heart beat once; warmth flooded his frozen body once more. He walked over. “Hey!”  
   
 “Hi.” Suga smiled weakly.  
   
 When Suga said “We need to talk,” Oikawa had asked, “Can we talk?” – it happened so perfectly, smoothly, that when they said “Talk” it overlapped. They both paused, blinked. They snickered, and laughed together.  
   
 “Um.” Suga smiled. “You first…”  
   
 “No, no, no.” Oikawa shook his head. “Stage is yours, my dear.”  
   
 “Um…” Suga’s smile began to fade. “Okay. If you say so…” He shuffled his feet. He had his books tight against his chest. “Okay, so I think…” He tried to look Oikawa in the eye, but he couldn’t. He looked down. “I mean, I talked to Daichi, and you know… I mean.” He took a breath. “I think, I think it would. Be best. It would be best if we stopped being friends.” He looked up and quickly added, “Just for a while. A little while.”  
   
 Oikawa’s smile didn’t disappear, but it wasn’t completely there either. “What,” he said with no inflection in his voice. His smile dropped completely. “Why?”  
   
 Sugawara felt his heart break, but he took a deep breath, forcing himself to keep going. “I just think… you’ve…” Fuck. “Never mind.” He shook his head. “That was stupid, let’s just forget we had this—”  
   
 “No wait.” Oikawa shook his head. “Tell me. I can take it, Koushi.”  
   
 “I…” Suga thought back to his conversation with Daichi, and then sighed. He looked up at Oikawa, seriously. Eyes focused, breath focused, mind focused. “I just think you’ve seriously got your priorities wrong, Tooru. And you’ve kind of thrown me to the side, again, and again. You’ve stopped talking to me, completely. You never talk to me anymore, not unless you need something from me, or if something happens to you. Little by little, you’ve stopped being interested in my life. And I always feel like I’m the one reaching out to you. I can’t do this anymore.”  
   
 Oikawa stared at him.  
   
 “I’m sorry,” whispered Suga. There was a moment of weakness, before Sugawara straightened his spine. “I don’t know what to say. You’re having such a great time with your boyfriend, so whatever. I’m getting really, really bitter about it… and I’m not trying to punish you or anything—I’m glad you have him; I’m glad you’re happy (I am)—but I need time away from you. I need this for me, okay? It’s not, I mean, I still love you. You’re like the brother I never had, I just… I can’t stand it. I don’t want to be _anywhere_ near you right now.”  
   
 Oikawa looked at him.  
   
 Sugawara took another breath, books clutched tight to his chest, knuckles turning white from the fierce grip on them.  
   
 Oikawa swallowed hard. “Oh.” His finger twitched. “Okay.”  
   
 “I’m…” Suga took a deep breath. “I’m sorry.”  
   
 “No, no. I understand.” He forced a smile. “You gotta do what you gotta do for you, right?”  
   
 “Right.” Suga nodded. He bit his lip. “Um… I think it might be kind of awkward now, but what did you want to tell me?”  
   
 “Oh.” Oikawa kept up his smile. “Iwaizumi broke up with me.”  
   
 Sugawara stared, eyes widening ever so slightly. It hit him like a train, as if it had been him that Iwaizumi had broken up with. “Tooru… What happened?”  
   
 Oikawa laughed, actually laughed. “But it just proves what you said is true, huh?” Oikawa still smiled, even as tears began to form at the corners of his eyes. “It’s just me, me, me… I only need you when it’s something about me. I don’t think about others, do I?” His shoulders began shaking, but he told himself he would not cry at school. He would not. “I’m just using you, Koushi… I just use the people around me.”  
   
 Sugawara’s eyes began shaking. “Tooru…”  
   
 “It’s cool.” Oikawa waved him off and walked passed him, giving another little wave. “I’m fine! Promise!”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Lunch was quiet. They were eating at their desks, together. Daichi nudged Suga once, after ten minutes of dead silence. “So how did it go?” Daichi could obviously see how distant Suga was being. “Did he take it bad?”  
   
 “He took it fine, actually.” Suga sighed. “But…”  
   
 Daichi waited for Suga to go on, but he didn’t. “So what is it, then?”  
   
 “Well… I regret it, oh my God.” He sighed again, closing his eyes this time. “Iwaizumi broke up with him.” He opened his eyes, looking at Daichi. “Yesterday, I think.”  
   
 Daichi blinked. “Yesterday?”  
   
 “Well, he didn’t say when, but they were together yesterday at school.”  
   
 “They were getting along so fine, too.” Daichi frowned.  
   
 “Were they?” asked Suga, softly. “They seemed… different, the last week or so.”  
   
 “So.” Daichi pouted. “Has the ship been going down for a while?”  
   
 “Probably… and I didn’t even notice.” Suga shook his head. “I regret everything…”  
   
 “It’s a case of bad timing,” corrected Daichi. “You still need space from him, whether it’s a good time or bad time for him.”  
   
 Suga nodded slowly, but he didn’t seem convinced.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 When classes were over, Oikawa told Suga he wouldn’t be going to club. He didn’t want to deal with Suga or Iwaizumi, and both of them were there. Anime club. His little safe haven. His own space, that he was the president of. He couldn’t go there. He didn’t go. But, he realised, neither did Iwaizumi. He paused.  
   
 They were in the hallway; it was oddly silent.  
   
 Iwaizumi stood in front of him, staring.  
   
  _Blade,_ Oikawa’s mind yelled. _This is Blade._ Was this what Iwaizumi had gone through, he wondered. Oikawa looked at him, jaw tightening. “What do you want?”  
   
 “I want a truce when we’re at school,” said Iwaizumi. “That’s all.”  
   
 “Ha.” Oikawa laughed, raising his chin. “Do I seem like the type to shoot you here, Iwaizumi?”  
   
 It sounded wrong, Iwaizumi knew, to hear Oikawa say his last name in full. “No, you don’t, _Oikawa_.” His eyes narrowed. “But I’m covering my bases, watching my back. That’s not a crime, is it?”  
   
 Oikawa eyed him, wanting to _hate_. But he couldn’t. No. That was wrong. There _was_ hate. There was grief, and hate, and anger. But there were other things: Joy, and fluttering butterflies, and the urge to cry. To hide. “Truce,” he said simply. “Stay away from me.”  
   
 “I will.”  
   
 “Good.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Iwaizumi had broken it off with him. Sugawara had broken it off with him. When Oikawa had caught Hinata’s eye at lunch time, Hinata had scowled at him with more disapproving disgust and vehement rage than Oikawa thought Hinata was capable of—then Hinata looked away, sharply, as if he was trying to stab Oikawa with his anger. Tsukishima didn’t want to get involved. Daichi… Oikawa wondered if he ever was really friends with Daichi, or if he was just friends by extension. As Oikawa rode the train home, alone, he pondered texting people. Who would he text? Ushijima? No. The last thing he needed was someone with no tact who would just step on his feelings accidentally.  
   
 Lev? No. He had that shitty date, on cloud nine of romance. The thought made Oikawa want to puke.  
   
 Who else was there?  
   
 Saeko? He hadn’t talked to her in months, really. And she was too much energy. Kiyoko? No. She was too cold, too unaware of how to show how much she cared. And she knew—she must have known—about who Iwaizumi was. He would thrash at her if he had the chance (even if it wasn’t her fault).  
   
 Who else was there?  
   
  _No one,_ he realised. _I have no one._  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 When Iwaizumi got home he sighed angrily, throwing his bag down and kicking off his shoes. He walked to his kitchen and grabbed something to eat. He expected the haunting silence that came with living alone (the silence that—before Tooru—was what he considered to be ‘home’ itself; and, after Tooru, he considered to be as haunting as the cold look in Oikawa’s eyes). What he didn’t expect was a mellow voice saying,  
   
 “Welcome home.”  
   
 Iwaizumi didn’t flinch. He knew that voice. He looked over his shoulder. “And you’ve invited yourself in because?”  
   
 “No reason, really,” said Kenma who sat at his kitchen table. “I could have easily relayed information via Kiyoko or others, with messages… but I felt as though I should resort to a more… direct means.” His eyes looked like they were devouring Iwaizumi whole. “It’s important information. Easily relayed, yes… but I felt the best way for you to truly understand the gravity behind this warning is from me… personally…”  
   
 Iwaizumi frowned. “What’s wrong with sending Shimizu-san?”  
   
 “If I can be blunt… Shimizu Kiyoko does not fully understand the magnitude behind this. Nor do my subordinates. Nor does Fox, for that matter. The Tsukishima brothers only partially understand. Tooru and I are the only ones, and since I assume you two won’t be on talking terms…”  
   
 “Then don’t keep me waiting: Spill it or leave.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Oikawa had gotten home at the same time. He put his bag down gently, running a hand through his hair. He turned on the T.V., to the news channel. He kind of expected it to be covering the madness of his magnetism blasts yesterday, but it was another news story (something about the wages of firefighters). He thought it would be like the movies, where the broadcast he was looking for would be right there. But guess not. His life wasn’t a movie, after all, no happy endings. He turned off the T.V. and pulled out his phone.  
   
 There it was.   
   
  _Destructive thunderstorm,_ it said; _Roughly ¥76 billion worth of damages,_ it said; _Ocean farm pollution may be causing magnetic storms,_ it said; _Two dozens injured,_ it said, _One in critical condition, no deaths._  
   
 He was tired, he realised.   
   
 Oikawa considered taking a nap, but his eyes caught sight of something. It was the home phone, blinking. There was a message. He clicked it, but it was half a second long. He frowned. He grabbed the home phone.  
   
 Three missed calls.  
   
 And when Oikawa realised who they were from he swallowed hard.  
   
 He pulled out his phone again, scrolling to _Mom_ and hit call. He put the phone to his ear and took a breath to calm himself down. It dialed a few times, and each time it did Oikawa prayed she wouldn’t pick up.  
   
  _“Hello?”_ came the voice from the other side.  
   
 Fuck. Oikawa forced a smile. “Hi. It’s me.”  
   
  _“Oh.”_ The voice was cold, distant, never able to hold inflection or tone. _“I called you earlier. You didn’t pick up. What’s the point of having a home phone if you don’t pick up or use it?”_  
   
 “I don’t know,” he admitted. He pinched the bridge of his nose. “We could disable it. But we use it for the intercom downstairs, to buzz people in.”  
   
  _“Hmmm.”_  
   
 “What’s up, Mom?”  
   
  _“I’m coming over.”_  
   
 “I know.” Oikawa forced a smile, trying to sound chipper. “You already told me.”  
   
  _“I know, but I mean I’m coming over. Tomorrow evening.”_  
   
 Oikawa’s heart stopped, mind thinking instantly of Iwaizumi. “Tomorrow?”  
   
  _“Yes. See you then.”_  
   
 “Yeah,” he said (even though she had already hung up). “See you then…”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Kenma nodded very slowly.  
   
 Iwaizumi swallowed hard. “Tomorrow? His mother – Queen of the Blood Ring – is coming over tomorrow?”  
   
 “Yes.” Kenma’s eyes had a darkness in them. “I have already mentioned to you before: I suggest you do not become Blade at any cost while she is here. Oikawa is the type to easily watch people die; she will hunt you down the minute she realises you’re not a Light working towards Tooru securing the Sector. Tooru had a hard time killing you, Iwaizumi, but she will not. You won’t know what hits you. You’ll never know. You’ll be dead before you even realise she’s there.”  
   
 Iwaizumi stared, swallowing hard.  
   
 “I’d like to reiterate our earlier conversation: Akaashi, Bokuto, and I will also be – for the most part – retreating. I may be around, since I want to talk to her concerning the details of a former… colleague of mine.”  
   
 Iwaizumi blinked. “Former colleague?”  
   
 Kenma waved to wave away the conversation, but paused. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about a man named Kuroo Tetsuro, would you?”  
   
 “It’s…” Iwaizumi frowned. “I’ve heard that name before.”  
   
 Kenma’s eyes widened like a predator ready to pounce on its prey—ready to kill in one swift movement.  
   
 “I can’t remember where.” Iwaizumi frowned. “I’m sorry… If I do, I’ll let you know. Who is he? She?”  
   
 “He.” Kenma slumped his shoulders. “Kuroo-san was my…” Mentor? Friend? “A colleague of mine. He worked in the irregular department, as my partner. However, he died rather tragically. Both Oikawa and I were there when…” His soul was screaming, but his face remained impassive. “It was strange, though… just before his death…” He paused, for a second, voice lowering to a whisper, “She mentioned he was acting odd… Maybe she was on to something… Maybe I just…” He shook his head. “Akaashi and Bokuto will be gone. I won’t be here often. You will have zero support.”  
   
 Iwaizumi swallowed hard. “I’m worried.”  
   
 “You should be. As I said, you will have zero support, your defences—”  
   
 “Not for me.” Iwaizumi’s eyes narrowed. “For him.”  
   
 He didn’t elaborate, but he didn’t need to because it looked like Kenma understood. It seemed as much as Iwaizumi wanted to pretend he didn’t care…  
   
  _For him,_ he had said. _Prince._


	27. Fake

 They were in class, focusing on math problems as the rain pounded on the glass. Oikawa ignored it, taking notes of whatever the professor was writing on the board. Iwaizumi did the same. Suga had zoned out, but Daichi nudged him once or twice to keep him on track. They were working on a new section, which was much easier for Iwaizumi. When the teacher finished writing the final equation, he gave everyone time to work on the problems alone as he walked up and down the aisles, answering questions.  
   
 Iwaizumi sighed. It was a breeze. He had already done some of this before, last year. Having no friends, bouncing around from school to school, Iwaizumi had focused a lot on his studies. He looked up to see his teacher, Ittetsu Takeda, walking towards him. He lowered his head, expecting his name to be called, but—  
   
 “Tooru-kun?”  
   
 Oikawa looked up, a fake chipper smile on his lips. “What’s up, Sensei?”  
   
 “How are you finding the problems?”  
   
 “I’m getting them all right,” Oikawa said as he beamed.  
   
 Ittetsu smiled, then crouched a bit closer to him. “Is everything okay, Tooru?”  
   
 Oikawa’s smile faltered for half a second. “Yep.”  
   
 “You just… don’t quite seem your usual self. I’m a little concerned.”  
   
 Oikawa’s smile almost faded, but it became something else: Real, smaller. “I’m okay,” he said again (no fake happiness in his voice this time). “Just some hard stuff going on. Boyfriends, friends… club stuff. Mom’s coming back too, and—”  
   
 “Oh,” Ittetsu said, interrupting without realising.  
   
 Iwaizumi expected their teacher to ask about it; but, instead, he seemed to understand right away, just nodding.  
   
 “Tooru,” he said, “You know you can always talk to me.”  
   
 “I know, Sensei. Thank you.”  
   
 Iwaizuimi’s eyes were fixed on the notebook in front of him, but he glanced over just to see Tooru smile. Fuck. The sight was beautiful. It still took his breath away. It was interesting how a curve of someone’s lips could feel like safety, like home, and yet… Sickness pooled in his stomach. Iwaizumi got the next problem wrong.  
   
 Ittetsu went on, “Tooru, I…”  
   
 “It’s okay. It’s nothing like before.”  
   
 “I know. I trust that you would tell me if it ever really became too much.” Ittetsu’s smile was motherly, almost. “You know,” he said in a lower voice, “I still think about it. I started teaching you in your first year; it was my first time being a teacher. Dealing with that was worrying… It’s not your fault, but the memory still hits me from time to time. Remember you always have people who care about you, Tooru.”  
   
 Oikawa didn’t say anything, just swallowed hard and gave a little nod.  
   
 Iwaizumi pretended he hadn’t heard.  
   
 Oikawa shot him a nervous glance, to see if he had reacted it any way. He didn’t. Oikawa assumed Iwaizumi hadn’t heard, or maybe he had. Oikawa wanted to assume, but couldn’t. Iwaizumi – Blade – always knew more than he thought, heard things he shouldn’t have. Oikawa quietly sighed and looked back to his notebook.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 After class, Oikawa began walking home. There was no club today, so he thought he was home free, until someone tugged his arm. “Hm?” Oikawa had a sing-song quality to his voice, expecting a kouhai or one of his fans. But. His smile faded. “Hi.”  
   
 Sugawara.  
   
 Oikawa swallowed hard.  
   
 Sugawara’s eyes were fixed on him, care and worry flooding his eyes as he looked at Tooru. “Um…” He bit his lip. “Your mom called… she’s coming, tonight. Right?”  
   
 “Yeah,” Oikawa said with no tone or inflection. It was a fact after all. He wasn’t surprised to know Suga knew—of course he would know, he realised. “She might be home when I get there, maybe.”  
   
 “Um.” Sugawara’s eyes softened. “My parents invited you guys over for dinner tonight… My dad didn’t want you to deal with your mom alone on her first day back.”  
   
 Oh. Oikawa looked at him.  
   
 “Um… if it’s easier… let’s just pretend we’re getting along for today, okay?” Sugawara wasn’t crying, but there was moisture in his eyes. “I think you have enough on your plate, so…”  
   
 “Maybe,” Oikawa said (and he wasn’t even sure as to what he said maybe to).  
   
 “My dad also invited um, Iwaizumi. And Daichi. So…”  
   
 “We’re over,” said Oikawa. “Iwaizumi and I. So. He’s not going to come.”  
   
 “Okay.” Sugawara took a deep breath, slowly. “Daichi’s going to be at practice, so he might stop by later but probably not. They’re getting ready for tournament stuff.”  
   
 “Okay.” Oikawa swallowed hard and began walking.  
   
   
 They walked, side by side – too much distance apart.  
   
   
 They got on the skytrain together, and it zoomed past buildings.  
   
 Sugawara sat next to him, but their legs didn’t touch, nor their arms. Which was odd since they were usually so… Sugawara took a breath. “S-So, you and Iwaizumi-san… you’re just. Over?”  
   
 “Yeah.”  
   
 “That seems pretty… sudden, didn’t it?”  
   
 “No,” murmured Oikawa, looking forward, not daring to look at his best friend (former? best friend). “It was a slow process, really. Him and I breaking apart.”  
   
 Sugawara rubbed his arms. “Do you want to talk about it?”  
   
 “No, Koushi. It’s the last thing I want to talk about.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 When they got home, they went to Oikawa’s place first. Oikawa dropped off his stuff. He eyed his mom’s purse and everything that she had left around. Claiming the space as her own. Oikawa sighed.  
   
 Sugawara awkwardly stood at the doorway. “I smell the food already.”  
   
 “It’s pretty early to eat, though, isn’t it?”  
   
 “I think she’s making your favourite,” said Suga, “The slow-cooked curry.”  
   
 “Oh hey,” Oikawa spoke in an upbeat tone without a smile, “Looks like one thing turned out nice today.”  
   
 “We… don’t have to go over, yet.”  
   
 “No, we don’t.” Oikawa walked to the kitchen counter. “Want tea?”  
   
 “Yeah.”  
   
 Oikawa was about to make a green tea, but paused. When did he start drinking green tea like an old man? Oh. Right. Hajime. He closed the lid and grabbed a black tea. “Darjeeling okay?”  
   
 “Yes.”  
   
 Oikawa turned on the kettle and soon made a pot of it. He put two cups down, bringing out the milk and soy milk (for Suga). They were quiet. It was weird. No it wasn’t. Of course this is how it would be. Oikawa couldn’t imagine them talking like before, about the little things. _You cut me out of your life,_ Oikawa thought to himself, _And now we’re supposed to pretend to be friends, because it’s easier._ Oikawa almost laughed, but didn’t. _Easier for you._ He poured two cups. _Easier for your guilty conscience, maybe._  
   
 Sugawara cleared his throat. “The club is going to be voting on the next anime soon, right?”  
   
 “Yeah.” Oikawa poured the milk, a little bit too much soy milk for Suga just because he could. “Here.”  
   
 Suga took the cup and smiled, a peaceful gesture.  
   
 Fuck your peaceful gestures. And fuck you.  
   
 Suga took a sip. “What are we watching next?”  
   
 “Depends on what people vote for.” Oikawa sipped his own tea (made right). “Shouyou wants to see the one with the kid with blue hair. The new one.”  
   
 Suga laughed. “He would like that one.”  
   
 “Mhm.” Oikawa thought about it. “It’s really serious. I can’t tell if it’s a comedy. But he, Yachi, and Noya like it as much as gay swimmers.”  
   
 Suga whistled. “That much?”  
   
 “Mhm. Oh, and of course everyone wants to see gay swimmers again.”  
   
 Suga sipped his tea. “I want to see gay swimmers again…”  
   
 Oikawa smiled. A real smile. Odd how rare those were now. “You like the romantic ones, Kou-chan.” He regretted saying the nickname as soon as he said it, as soon as Suga’s eyes lit up, as soon as Suga thought maybe there was a chance to rekindle this flame before it was too late. Fuck you, Koushi. Oikawa put his cup down. “You like the ones made for girls. With all their big gay bishie boys—not the big bara boys, and.” Oikawa stopped. He frowned.  
   
 Sugawara tilted his head. “Are you okay?”  
   
  _My Iwa-bear._  
   
 Oikawa swallowed hard.  
   
  _My Iwa-bara._  
   
 Oikawa nodded, slowly.  
   
  _Can I just go. One day. Without thinking of him?_  
   
 Sugawara tilted his head. “Tooru?”  
   
 “Just drink your goddamn tea.”  
   
 “Oh.” Suga looked at his cup. “Okay.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 They walked over, to the apartment complex across the hall. Oikawa took a deep breath before opening the door. They heard the warm voice of Sugawara’s mother, going on about her newest client. She was a financial advisor, and always managed to deal with the funnier businesses. The smell of Oikawa’ favourite curry was comforting. At the kitchen counter, there _she_ was. Oikawa’s mother – and that’s how she will be referred to; neither her first nor middle name revealed yet – was sitting on a stool. She had a chip in her hand, talking to Suga’s mother.  
   
 Suga’s father had most likely laid out some chips and snacks and stuff as appetisers on the counter.  
   
 Oikawa stared at her.  
   
 All colour faded from his face, from the world.  
   
 It hit him like a cold puddle of acid in his stomach, swirling and swirling, tasting of dread.  
   
 Oikawa swallowed hard. He forced a smile, palms sweating. “Hi.” He said, making sure to fake it as much as he could. Fake it until you make it. That was his motto, wasn’t it? “How was the flight?”  
   
 His mother took one look at him, up and down, disapproving and no effort to hide it. “The flight was alright, first class.” She looked back at Sugawara’s mother. “Would have preferred a private jet, but it was a short flight so I didn’t make a fuss.”  
   
 “Well.” Oikawa tasted blood. “We all have to make sacrifices sometimes.” He realised he had bit the inside of his cheek too hard.  
   
 Sugawara’s mom looked at him, concern filling his eyes.  
   
 Suga coughed, walking over to the counter. He used Oikawa’s mother’s first name when referring to her, asking her if she’d like a drink of water.  
   
 “I’m fine, thank you.” She eyed Suga in the same analytical lens, but without as much disapproval. “How are you, Koushi?”  
   
 “I’m good. Studying a lot.” He rubbed his hands together. “Exams are coming up.”  
   
 She nodded slowly. “Good.”  
   
 Suga’s mom cleared her throat. “Oh, boys, Lev needed help with his, uh. Phone. Do you mind seeing if you can help him?”  
   
 “Sure,” Oikawa said in a whisper before he darted out of the room.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 When the door of the guest room closed, Lev looked up. His phone—needless to say—was fully functional. He put it away, though. “Hey…” his voice lacked the usual luster, lacked the cheer, lacked the bright sunlight it always had, “How’d it go?”  
   
 Oikawa shook his head, closing his eyes. He swallowed hard. He felt Lev pull him into a hug and he nuzzled Lev’s shoulder. “You big noodle…” Lev was only four inches taller than Oikawa, but he was so noodle-esque it always felt like more.  
   
 “Awww.” Lev smiled again. “We can have a group hug, Koushi!”  
   
 Suga laughed it off, looking away.  
   
 Oikawa held on to Lev tight, not wanting Suga anywhere near him.  
   
 Lev didn’t really understand but he sensed something was off. “It’s okay, Aniki, you get extra noodle today. That’s usually a hundred extra yen at your soba shop but it’s free today!” He kissed the top of Oikawa’s head – as Oikawa used to do to him before his growth spurt.  
   
 “I love you, Lev.” Oikawa smiled again, relaxing.  
   
 “Love you too, Aniki!”  
   
 Sugawara breathed a sigh of relief.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 They somehow survived until dinner, mostly by hiding out in Lev’s room. Suga’s mom had set the table while his dad brought the food. The phone rang and they buzzed up Daichi, who had come looking his best (freshly showered after practice, wearing nicer clothes—a collared black shirt, and a pair of modern grey wool pants). He bowed politely. “You must be Oikawa-san.” He offered his hand. “I’m one of your son’s classmates, Sawamura Daichi.”  
   
 Oikawa’s mother took the hand, shaking it gently. “Nice to meet you, Sawamura-kun.”  
   
 “Just Daichi’s fine.”  
   
 For dinner they had the Sugawara Famous Curry. At first glance, it wasn’t too different from the standard Japanese curry, which was thicker and not as spicy (and just a touch sweeter) than most Indian curries. It still used a roux base, but the Sugawaras liked to use almonds, coconut cream, and bay leaves to get a more worldly flavour. They were curry freaks, researching all the different types of curries from every culture and adding an ingredient or two from every pot of the world to their own. People often dropped their jaws when they heard some of the secret ingredients (like pomegranate juice to give it a nice kick). The curry was slow cooked, getting a richness in flavour and aroma that could only be cultivated by a full day of work.  
   
 Daichi learned a few things about Oikawa’s mother: She was fairly reserved, but she spoke a lot when she was interested about something. She had asked Suga and Daichi both about what they wanted to do after high school.  
   
 Sugawara seemed a little embarrassed about only being able to answer in a shrug. “I’m… not entirely sure. I think, maybe I’d like to go into the sciences? I haven’t decided yet.”  
   
 Daichi seemed equally perplexed by the question. “Well, my parents want me to be a doctor,” he admitted, “But I’m thinking something like engineering… or maybe business, probably engineering though. That looks more like my calling…” He looked at Suga for a moment. “Hard to believe we’re in our third year.”  
   
 “Yeah,” Suga said in a nervous laugh. “Got to figure it out soon, huh?”  
   
 Oikawa’s mother glanced to the youngest in the group. “Are you working on a new book, Lev?”  
   
 “Yeah!” Lev sparkled.  
   
 Sugawara’s mom cleared her throat, doing her best to hide her smile, “And apparently he’s been staying up very late writing, as well.”  
   
 “I’m sorry!” Lev bowed while sitting, which ended up with him putting his face just above his plate. When he raised his head there were bits of curry on his nose and eyebrows.  
   
 Oikawa laughed and grabbed a napkin. “Noodle, look this way.” He helped wipe him off.  
   
 “Lev’s been writing like a wildfire,” said Sugawara’s dad, very proud, as if it was his own son. “Ever since he met someone, actually.”  
   
 Oikawa’s mother raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”  
   
 Lev turned away from Oikawa to face his mother. He still had some curry on his face. “Yeah! Long ago night! Yeah! He’s… well, he’s in university.” He wiggled his fingers together. “He’s in his second year. He’s studying physics! He’s so great and so cool and he finds me funny!”  
   
 Oikawa smiled. “How’d the date go, by the way?”  
   
 “Really great! I spilled some coffee on him by accident but he laughed at me a lot, and I told him you call me a noodle and now he calls me a noodle too!”  
   
 Oikawa snorted. Suga grinned. Daichi laughed.  
   
 Oikawa’s mother also smiled, very faintly.  
   
 Oikawa was so distracted by the rare sight he barely registered what Lev had said until all eyes were on him,  
   
 “Someone else has got a really cool boyfriend too!”  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes widened. Everyone looked at him. Daichi and Sugawara were looking at him with such pity (didn’t they understand that just made it so much worse?). He swallowed hard. “Me?” he asked as a joke. Take the hint.  
   
 Lev didn’t take the hint. To be fair, it was a pretty shitty hint. “Iwaizumi-san!”  
   
 His mother raised an eyebrow. “Iwaizumi… That name is familiar.”  
   
 “Oh, yeah.” Oikawa smiled as his hands, under the table, were digging his fingernails into his wrists. Suga looked like he was about to step in, so Oikawa went on: “The name’s familiar because we used to be camp buddies.” He didn’t want Suga to save him. Suga sat back in his chair, deflating (as if that was his one chance to save his best friend, to rekindle the lost friendship), while Oikawa’s mother gave a small nod, expecting him to go on. Oikawa just smiled. “But you’re too late, already missed him!” His smile almost looked real (almost). “We broke up already.”  
   
 Lev turned to him, fully. His smile dropped, eyes shaking (almost watering; almost). “What?” He shook his head. “No way?”  
   
 Both of Sugawara’s parents looked at him, surprised and worried.  
   
 Oikawa’s mother just drank from her glass of water.  
   
 Daichi frowned at her, as if he had expected more (and he was the only one silly enough to expect her to care since he didn’t know her). When she looked at him, Daichi plastered a smile. He was asked about him and Suga, and if they were dating, an Daichi admitted they were. “He’s an angel, really.”  
   
 Angel.  
   
 Oikawa froze.  
   
  _Angel?_  
   
 He stared at Sugawara, head-on.  
   
 Suga noticed the awkward stare and swallowed hard. “Tooru?”  
   
 Oikawa’s eyebrows shot up. Once again, he was the centre of attention. “I—forgot the kettle on!” He got up. “One sec!” He ran out of the room.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Oikawa had barely made it through his own door when he toppled and fell over, tripping on his legs. He closed the door with his hand, pressing his back against it. He pulled out his phone, not needing to scroll to find the phone number because it was in his favourites. He hit call and brought it to his ear. It was cruel, the way it was ringing on and on, almost teasing him. He hated it, hated it, hated it, hated it.  
   
 But, eventually.  
   
 The other person picked up.  
   
 The voice was slightly annoyed, but mostly wary: _“What do you want?”_  
   
 Oikawa breathed a sigh of relief. It was odd, wasn’t it, how the voice still comforted him, still made him feel like home. “Hajime?” he asked, softly, ever so softly.  
   
  _“Tooru, what’s wrong?”_ A pause. _“Are you okay?”_  
   
 He swallowed hard. “Hajime, do you think Angel is, Koushi?”  
   
  _“No.”_  
   
 “Why not? Why did you answer so fast? How can you be so sure? They have the same body type, the same hair colour—”  
   
  _“We already made sure, Tooru. Remember? Not only is the Tsukishima temple surrounded by a protective barrier, but we made sure ourselves.”_ Before we knew we were each other. _“Remember? He walked right through me. Only a non-Light human can walk through Lights. If he was a Light, or a Dark, or whatever—he wouldn’t be able to do that. Right?”_  
   
 “Right… right…” Oikawa slumped. “I’m sorry… I forgot something so simple… I…”  
   
  _“It’s okay. Your mom’s… in town, isn’t she?”_ Iwaizumi took Oikawa’s choked noise as a reply. _“You’re also a little spooked from Blade being me… You’re not thinking right…”_  
   
 “No,” he whispered. “I’m not.”  
   
  _“Tooru…”_  
   
 “Yeah?”  
   
  _“Take… Take care of yourself, Prince.”_  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Oikawa wanted to scream.  
   
 Oikawa wanted to cry.  
   
 Oikawa wanted a lot of things.  
   
 Almost all of them were Iwaizumi’s arms around him, though.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 After Oikawa came back, and after dinner ended, Oikawa, Suga, Daichi, and Lev went to Sugawara’s room. Daichi was visibly upset, almost shaking. “She seems to care about everyone but her own son,” he murmured. Sugawara nodded, slowly. He gave an apologetic look to Oikawa, for a different reason this time. They wouldn’t know, but Oikawa did. He appreciated it, if he had to be honest. Daichi went on, “It’s not right.”  
   
 Lev pouted. “Aniki!” He hugged Oikawa tight.  
   
 “Otouto,” he said without much force. Oikawa leaned into the hug, wanting to disappear into it. It didn’t have the firmness Iwaizumi’s had; it didn’t give him the power to escape the world, to feel safe, to feel secure, to feel whole. But he’d take what he could get. “If I’m lucky she won’t be here longer than a week… we’ll see.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 When they got home, Oikawa felt uneasy. His mother claimed the space as hers, pulling out some files to review and putting them on the kitchen table. Oikawa made another pot of tea, one with lavender and chamomile, to help him rest easy. He felt a slight breeze and looked over his shoulder.  
   
 The patio door was open.  
   
 His mother looked up. “And what is that mutt doing here?”  
   
 Standing on their balcony was Kenma, looking in.  
   
 Oikawa swallowed hard. “Mom, he can hear you.”  
   
 “I’m aware.”  
   
 Kenma stepped in, lowering his head in deep respect, then raising himself again. “I stopped by to welcome you back,” and then he said her name in full. All three names. “If it’s alright, I wanted to ask you some questions—”  
   
 “No,” she snapped. “It’s not alright. I have no interest in talking to you, Kozume. Get out.”  
   
 Kenma’s mouth pursed tight into a thin line.  
   
 “Get out of this Sector.”  
   
 Kenma frowned. “You don’t have the authority—”  
   
 She cut him off with a sharp glance to her son. “Do you challenge my order, Tooru?”  
   
 Oikawa had been looking at Kenma, and he didn’t miss the little nod he gave him. The little nod that more or less said Kenma understood, that Kenma knew starting shit between the Oikawas was a bad idea. “No,” he whispered. He cleared his throat. “No, mother.”  
   
 She looked at him. “Leave.”  
   
 “Yes, Ma’am.” Kenma turned and disappeared into a whirl of green mist.  
   
   
 That night Oikawa had locked himself in his room. It wasn’t that hard. He had done this a hundred times before. He just had to wait it out. He thought back to the phone call, realising how uptight and wound up he was, but he also thought of Iwaizumi’s voice, and how it calmed him, how it felt right, and how even over the phone it felt – for just a second – like everything was okay.  
   
 He didn’t despair, though.  
   
 Oikawa hugged his knees, realising he was still in the afterglow of that warmth. He smiled, curling up, thinking of Iwaizumi, and drifted off to his first good sleep in a long while.


	28. Oikawa Tooru

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I apologise or the angst: When I planned this fic I didn't think the angst would hurt as much. To be fair, I didn't know the humour and fluff would be that well-received either. I've changed the tags to reflect the fic better. I know the past few chapters have been angsty, but the majority of the fic is humour and fluff. That being said, this chapter (which btw is the only chapter so far to have two words -- maybe that's symbolism or something, idk don't look at me I don't make the rules) is probably one of the heavier chapters. Things will turn up eventually. <3
> 
> * * *

 ~ 5 ~  
   
 “Where’s dad?”  
   
 Michimiya turned, looking at the small child. She was halfway through shoving a piece of bread in her mouth and paused. She bit off a piece of the bread and chewed. She scooted down, squatting down to eye level with her child. “Well,” she said with a bit of difficulty to say the least. Michimiya hummed. “Well, he’s… decided not to be here, Little T.”  
   
 Little T, or Tara – as her birth name stated – frowned. She tilted her head, little mind scrambling around the answer. “What does that mean?”  
   
 “Well, there’s. There’s no easy way to say this, Little T.”  
   
 Tara pouted. She was five, five years old. “That’s what you always say!”  
   
 Michimiya took a deep breath, nodding. She moved some of her hair out of her eyes. “He’s… gone. I guess.”  
   
 “Is he… dead?”  
   
 “No.”  
   
 “I wish.”  
   
 Michimiya frowned. “Don’t say that, Tara. He’s your father. Why would you say that?”  
   
 “Because!” She frowned back at her mom. “At least then I would understand!”  
   
 Michimiya’s eyes softened.  
   
 Tara stomped in place and pouted. “I don’t understand! How can someone have a daughter and not want to be around them! All my other friends have parents! Two! He doesn’t do anything!”  
   
 “That’s not true, Tara.” Michimiya sighed. “He does a lot of things. He sends us money, a lot of it y’know? And he gets you birthday gifts every year. And Christmas. Remember the dinosaur toy he got you? The stuffed one? Green?” She gave a teasing smile. “I think you know which one I’m talking about.”  
   
 “Rex is stupid!”  
   
 “Hmmm.” She smiled at her. “I know you’re angry, but you didn’t think it was stupid when you got it.” She wasn’t fazed by her daughter’s glare. “You loved it when you slept next to it… you still do, don’t you?”  
   
 “It’s… very soft.”  
   
 “It’s high quality.”  
   
 “But it’s dumb!” Tara sniffled. “Why isn’t he here? Why isn’t—why—why am I not important to him?”  
   
 “Tara…”  
   
 Tara sniffled, then sobbed.  
   
 “Come here.” Michimiya opened her arms and pulled her daughter in. “It’s not so bad here, is it?”  
   
 “There’s no yucky boys…”  
   
 “No cooties.”  
   
 Tara gave two little nods.  
   
 ~ 6 ~  
   
 “Mom! Mom!” Tara’s cheeks were flushed from exercise – she had run the entire way home from school in a giddy trance. She pulled her backpack off and rummaged through her stuff.  
   
 Michimiya was just finishing up some paperwork when her daughter had walked in. She already knew, full well, that it was report card day. But, she knew how much Tara liked to surprise her. So she feigned ignorance. “Yes?” she said with a perfect smile. A beautiful smile – the same one her child would inherit.  
   
 “I-I have something!” Tara pulled out her report card and gave it.  
   
 “Hmmm. Let’s see.” She took it and looked at it. She gave it some analytical glances. It was more of a show, of course. She figured if Tara was beaming and wanting to show her she must have done well. She opened it up and blinked. “Tara…” She eyed it. There it wrote: _Oikawa Tara is…_ “Top of the class!” She stood up, knocking over her empty cup of coffee. She yelled, happy, ecstatic. “Tara!” She dropped down and hugged her daughter tight. “Oh my little girl! My little girl is top of the class!”  
   
 Tara grinned, bright and full of life and songs and colours. She hugged her mom tight.  
   
 Michimiya kissed her cheek several times. “I’m so proud of you! I failed all my classes, but you!”  
   
 ~ 7 ~  
   
 “It’s still a bit early, but do you want to try?”  
   
 Tara was hiding behind a chair in the living room. “No!” After a silence. “Does it hurt?”  
   
 Michimiya laughed softly. “Nope. It’ll be over before you know it.”  
   
 Tara shook her head several times.  
   
 “It’s fun, you know? Transforming. You can do so many new things!”  
   
 Tara pouted and hid behind the chair. “You mean… like a magical girl?”  
   
 Michimiya smiled, wide. “Just like that! Just like Utena!”  
   
 “Who?”  
   
 “Oh, right. Different generation.” Michimiya rubbed her nose. “But it’s just like any magical girl!”  
   
 Tara peeked out behind her silly cover of a chair. “But what if…” Her eyes dropped down to the floor.  
   
 Michimiya kneeled down, going to eye level to look at her. She had a knowing little smile, full of love and acceptance and everything else her daughter would need. Her voice, usually loud and awkward, became softer: “What if you don’t want to be a magical girl?”  
   
 Tara nodded very slowly.  
   
 “Well.” Michimiya put a finger to her chin and looked up, pretending to think about it. She looked at Tara. “Doesn’t Tuxedo Mask transform too?”  
   
 Tara’s eyes widened. “Yeah!” She smiled brighter, and stepped out behind the chair. “But.” The seven year old rubbed her wrists together. “Did we copy Sailor Moon? Is that why we Lights transform?”  
   
 Michimiya laughed. “No, no, we’ve been around long before then.” She winked. “Where do you think the manga and animes got their ideas from?”  
   
 Tara’s eyes lit up. She raised her hand up and yelled, “Moon! Prism! Power!”  
   
 Michimiya stared at her for a full minute of silence before she doubled over laughing.  
   
 “Hey!”  
   
 “Sorry! Sorry!” She grinned. “You don’t have to be loud. Actually, you should probably be quiet.”  
   
 “Quiet? Sailor Moon’s not quiet!”  
   
 “Yeah, but they do silent transformations too, right?” Michimiya was starting to realise she probably knew too much about the show to be honest, but she didn’t mind. “Plus, you don’t want to be an Usagi, do you?”  
   
 Tara laughed as well. “But I like her!”  
   
 “I like her too, but the other sailor scouts are better role models.” She gave a little peace sign with her smile. “Right?”  
   
 “But they’re all friends!”  
   
 Michimiya chuckled. “Okay okay, let’s put Sailor Moon away. Why don’t you try again? I can help you through it.”  
   
 “How do I do it?”  
   
 “Well, you need to focus. Like meditating. Kind of. I was never good at meditating. Always too worried I would accidentally fall asleep and start snoring in the middle of—”  
   
 “—Mom.”  
   
 “Oh! Sorry!” Michimiya waved her hands in front of her face. “You basically have to try something inside yourself.”  
   
 Tara closed her eyes, searching deep.  
   
 “It might take a while, but—”  
   
 A blast of light, white – a shine – radiance. Tara’s outfit consisted of knee-high black socks, a light blue skirt, black sports bra, and an unbuttoned light blue dress shirt. Her skirt and open shirt ruffled as if there was some wind emanating from her. “Skirt,” she whispered, knowing her new name. The wind stopped and her clothes were still. She opened her eyes, slowly, and looked up. “Did I do it?”  
   
 Michimiya’s eyes widened. “You’re beautiful.”  
   
 Tara blinked. “Huh? I wanna see!” She ran down the hall to the mirror and looked at herself.  
   
 Michimiya followed, leaning down and hugging her daughter from behind. She kissed her cheek. “I love you, Tara.”  
   
 “I love you too, mom!”  
   
 ~ 8 ~  
   
 “Dad didn’t send me anything,” Tara said on her eighth birthday. “He always sends something! What if he forgot?”  
   
 “He didn’t forget.” Michimiya smiled. She already knew what he had sent her. “It takes time, though.”  
   
 “What do you mean it takes time?”  
   
 “Well, he lives far. So sometimes it takes a while for a package to make its way here.”  
   
 “Oh!” Tara’s eyes lit up, as it always did when she learned something new of him. “Does he live very far? China? India? America? London? England?”  
   
 “No, no.” Michimiya laughed. “He lives here in Japan.”  
   
 “Oh.” She pouted. “That’s not that far.”  
   
 “Well, technically, but he lives on a boat, you see?” Michimiya smiled. “It’s a yacht, actually.”  
   
 “He should take me!”  
   
 Michimiya paused, not knowing what to say.  
   
 But silence was apparently the wrong answer. Tara crossed her arms. “I hate yachts! They’re a sign you don’t care about your kids.”  
   
 “That’s just being dramatic, Tara.”  
   
 Tara pouted.  
   
 ~ 9 ~  
   
 Michimiya was writing a letter, by hand. Like most people she usually emailed her letters, but she was a bit of an old soul and liked writing out a first draft by hand for the more important stuff. It reminded her, of course, of when they were young and put love letters in each other’s mailboxes.  
   
  _Dear,_ and there it listed his name.  
   
  _She wants to see you, she really does. It’s really important to her. I think she’s old enough now… It’ll be a shock, I know, but it’ll be a shock anyway. Who would have thought you and I ever would have had a kid? I don’t regret it though. She’s so wonderful. She doesn’t take stupid naps like you do, and she hasn’t even failed anything like me. It’s like we put our DNA together and she took the best of both worlds. Just the best. Left the garbage behind.  
   
 Okay okay okay I know that’s not how DNA works but you know!!  
   
  ~~This is so dumb.~~  
   
 But you got my picture of her transformed, right? She’s beautiful. And strong, too! You’ll never guess what her weapons are (and yes, weapons plural!). She’s got a vertical mask, just like us too! I took her with me last night, actually. I brought Kenma and Moniwa with me in case anything went wrong (nothing bad happened). She understands the Dark, you know? She understands now what you’re doing, what you’re protecting. If the reversal were to happen to any of us, we’ll all be destroyed. She knows that.  
   
 Anyway. I love you, she does too.  
 Please think about it._  
   
 And there, she signed her name. She signed it last name, middle name (which was an old nickname for her ever since she got drunk in college, forgot her name, and made up a new one) and her first name: _Oikawa “Yui” Michimiya_.  
   
  _P.S. Give ‘em a good one-two for me! (ง •̀_•́)ง_  
   
 ~ 10 ~  
   
 Tara sat in the backseat while Michimiya drove. Tara sung along with the song on the radio, somewhat mindlessly, looking out the window as she thought about this and that. They sat diagonal from each other. Michimiya was firm about Tara not sitting in the front seat until she was old enough. So they sat diagonal, so they could still talk without the big chair in the way. It was pretty late, but the summer sky was still bright regardless of how long the days were. She was content with her life, happy with it. If nothing else could be taken away from that moment of her in the car, it was that she was happy.  
   
 Four minutes later, after the other car’s tires smelled of burned rubber and the skid marks burned into the road, after the collision, the crash, after Tara screamed, after Michimiya – knowing they were going to get hit – flicked her eyes up to the rear-view mirror. She saw her daughter, there, staring at her. She twisted the steering wheel, making her choice. If it would keep Tara safe—  
   
 Four minutes later, after the impact, after the driver hit Michimiya’s side head-on, after the airbags and broken glass, blood, so.. so much blood…  
   
 Four minutes later, after Tara thought she was blind – but really it was just the image of the crash, the collision, burning deep into her mind.  
   
 It was four minutes after she was singing along, happily, enjoying the lazy day.  
   
 Four minutes later, her mother was a pool of blood.  
   
   
 Four hours later, Tara sat in the hospital. She had come out with all kinds of cuts and scratches, but nothing threatening. The nurses talked to her the entire time (she wished they would leave her alone). She didn’t know if her mother was going to be okay.  
   
   
 Four days later, the doctor explained it as best as he could to the child. “She’s suffered damage to frontal and temporal regions of her head,” he had said, then backtracked with, “She’s showing signs of brain damage…”  
   
 Oikawa was ten, she didn’t know what any of that meant exactly. She didn’t have the full understanding, but she nodded along. She gathered bits and pieces from her life. She basically understood that the brain was in the skull, and the skull has some spiky stuff inside and sometimes if the brain gets knocked around, it can be a bad thing. A very bad thing. The information reminded her of the broken glass from the window, how it was all a bunch of pieces she couldn’t put back to make whole.  
   
 Temporal regions, frontal lobe, polynomial regions. Complex this, complex that. Enough. Somatosensory cortex. Stop. Right supramarginal gyrus, anterior insula—words flying over her head—anterior midcingulate cortex, right amygdala.  
   
 The possible list of symptoms were never ending.  
   
 Pages and pages.  
   
 But a nurse had pulled her aside and said, “The brain is like plastic. It can heal and get better in ways we don’t understand. Don’t give up.”  
   
 What was there to give up on?  
   
 Tara didn’t understand.  
   
 Oikawa didn’t understand.  
   
 ~ 11 ~  
   
 Oikawa Michimiya (middle name: dropped) sat on the couch, watching the T.V. There was some news report. She was completely engrossed in it. She used to consider the news boring (“Who would want to waste their time listening to a bunch of grumpy old people in suits try to make people afraid of their neighbour’s cat?” she used to say), but she found it quite informative now. She listened, attentively, not taking her eyes off of it for anything—or anyone.  
   
 “H-Hey, Mom.” Oikawa stood next to the couch, hands together. “I want to tell you something.”  
   
 Michimiya glanced to Oikawa, then back to the T.V.  
   
 “I… I want to… be…”  
   
 “A boy, yes, I know.” Michimiya waved him off. “I don’t care.” Her eyes were focused.  
   
 Oikawa stared at his mother, swallowing hard. “But—”  
   
 “Shh.” Michimiya eyes narrowed. “This is important.”  
   
 It was going on about minor earthquakes in the ocean, and how that would raise gas prices.  
   
 Oikawa deflated, going back to his room.  
   
 ~ 12 ~  
   
 “There’s a camp!” Oikawa ran out of his room, smiling bright. “Mom! There’s a camp! It’s in a couple weeks, just boys! I could go!”  
   
 His mother, however, was standing in the kitchen with a mug of coffee in her hands. She didn’t look at her son when she murmured, “You can’t go.” She put her mug down.  
   
 “But I’m a boy!”  
   
 “Not so loud, Tara.”  
   
 “It’s far, so no one I know from school will be there! I can be a boy there!”  
   
 Michimiya – or what was left of her, as he commonly thought – looked at him. “Hm.”  
   
 “C-Can… I, change my name?”  
   
 She sighed. “That’s a lot of paperwork. Especially since you’re a kid.”  
   
 “But, um.” Oikawa put his hands together. “I was thinking… Tooru. It’s not too different… And it’s, super cute!”  
   
 “Tara was your grandmother’s name, you know?” She reached for her mug again, with her right hand, and the movement was jerky, wrong, influid. “You have the same kanji.” She frowned, before clasping the handle. She sighed. “It means an abundance of orchids.” She tried to bring the coffee mug to her mouth, but the movement was too much like staccatos. Broken. Jerking. Twitches. She put the mug down; it made a loud noise.  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes softened. “Please?”  
   
 “It’s up to you,” she said as she shrugged. She used her other hand to sip her coffee. “I don’t care.”  
   
 “Oh.”  
   
 ~ 13 ~  
   
 “Camp!” Oikawa yelled as he ran from his room. “Mom the deadline for the camp is today! It’s today!”  
   
 Michimiya looked at him this time (which was odd). “I’ve already filled out the paperwork,” she murmured.  
   
 Oikawa screamed and threw his hands up in the air, smiling. “Really?”  
   
 “Don’t get so loud. It’s annoying.” Michimiya looked to the side. “Plus, we have a guest.”  
   
 Oikawa turned. “Kozume-san!” he said with a bright smile, but then he froze. “K-Ken…”  
   
 Kenma’s eyes were wide, tears pouring down his face. His hair was dishevelled and his clothes were ruined.  
   
 Oikawa stared.  
   
 Michimiya looked at Kenma for a while. “Are you done?”  
   
 “You don’t care?” Kenma screamed, “You don’t care? That Kuroo’s dead?”  
   
 “I’ve lost a lot of people,” murmured Michimiya in a soft monotone. “I’ve lost acquaintances, I’ve lost friends, I’ve lost my husband, I’ve lost myself. The body count is too high to care anymore. Kuroo is just another corpse on the pile.”  
   
 ~ 14 ~  
   
 “Oikawa Tara—Sorry, Tooru. It’s Oikawa Tooru now?”  
   
 Oikawa swallowed hard, nodding. “Yes Sir.”  
   
 The doctor grabbed a syringe and walked over. “If you or your mom notice any weird side effects let me know. This is purely experimental, of course. We’re not supposed to give hormone replacement therapy to kids. You… don’t have any hormones to replace. Well. We’ll see what happens.” He injected the shot. He was getting paid enough to keep quiet. “So how is your mom doing? Since the, uh. Accident…”  
   
 “She’s…” Oikawa wanted to lie, but he looked down. “She’s not the same.”  
   
 “I see… but remember. Always believe that things can get better.”  
   
 “Bullshit,” he whispered. He knew the doctor heard. Good. He wanted him to hear. “She’s got her coordination back, but her personality’s… gone. She lost her soul…”  
   
 “Tooru…”  
   
 He looked up.  
   
 “Never give up.”  
   
 The words were so empty they hurt. “You’re wrong,” he said. “Brain plasticity, that’s what you science people call it right? The fact that the brain can make up for lost abilities or change in a way to bring something back, right? But that’s… that’s probably only if you want to get it back. She wanted her coordination back. She needs it.” To fight. “But… she doesn’t want her soul back.” Oikawa’s eyes watered. “She doesn’t have it anymore, so she doesn’t understand what she’s trying to get back. She doesn’t understand why she would want it back!”  
   
 The doctor stared at him.  
   
 “It’s okay.” Oikawa laughed, forced. “You don’t know what to say… no one does… maybe I’m wrong, I’m just a kid…”  
   
 ~ 15 ~  
   
 “Moniwa!” Kenma yelled at her. “He’s dead!”  
   
 Oikawa was Skirt now, mask equipped.  
   
 His mother also wore her own battle outfit. “Yes,” she said as she held her hand firmly around her gun, ready to aim and fire if needed. “I’m aware. I did it myself, Kozume. This is my Sector—I rule as I see fit.”  
   
 Oikawa turned to her. “Moniwa… You…”  
   
 Kenma’s eyes widened. “You killed Moniwa…” He slumped to the ground. “Why?”  
   
 “I’m tired of the bullshit, the fake happiness.” Michimiya, no longer herself, now nothing but a walking nightmare, looked up into the sky. “Lights working together, helping each other… There are too many of us here, in Tokyo. It’s best we start a purge, a cleanse of the weak. We’ll create a blood ring, a place for everyone to fight to the death. Lights will fight the Dark, and the Light.”  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes widened. “Mom!”  
   
 “This is how we become strong.”  
   
 “Mom!” Oikawa yelled. “Stop it! Come back… the old you, just!” Tears formed in his eyes. “Come back…”  
   
 “What old me?” she asked with a frown. “I’ve always been the same person. No car accident changes that.”  
   
 Oikawa did as Kenma did, falling to his knees, slumping down. “Mom…”  
   
 Michimiya shook her head. “This is my Sector, Tooru. You’re too strong to waste your time on the likes of Moniwa and others… You’re moving. You’ll get your own sector. You’ll make me proud – I know you won’t fail me.”  
   
 Oikawa looked up.  
   
 Michimiya looked down at him. “Yokohama, it’s close enough. It’s a new start. The school year starts in four or five months. You’ll be starting high school; why start it here? You’ll go to a high school there. Actually, let’s transfer you to a middle school. You can finish off your third year there.” She tilted her head. “Isn’t that what you want? A new start? I’m being kind. You can live as a boy there.”  
   
 ~ 16 ~  
   
 “Mom,” Oikawa said as she stood in the doorway to their neighbours. “This is Sugawara Koushi, my best friend since last year.”  
   
 “Oh,” his mother stared at them. It had been eighteen months since they had last seen each other. “Okay.”  
   
 They had dinner, with Sugawara’s parents. She left after that. When she did, Oikawa was shaking. He tried to say he was okay, again and again, but they wouldn’t listen to him. Suga hugged him tight, kissing his forehead.  
   
 “To leave her own son stranded,” hissed Suga’s mother. “Tooru. You can stay here as much as you want, you hear me?”  
   
 ~ 17 ~  
   
 Oikawa’s mother glanced to the youngest in the group. “Are you working on a new book, Lev?”  
   
 “Yeah!” Lev sparkled.  
   
 Sugawara’s mom cleared her throat, doing her best to hide her smile, “And apparently he’s been staying up very late writing, as well.”  
   
 “I’m sorry!” Lev bowed while sitting, which ended up with him putting his face just above his plate. When he raised his head there were bits of curry on his nose and eyebrows.  
   
 Oikawa laughed and grabbed a napkin. “Noodle, look this way.” He helped wipe him off.  
   
 “Lev’s been writing like a wildfire,” said Sugawara’s dad, very proud, as if it was his own son. “Ever since he met someone, actually.”  
   
 Oikawa’s mother raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”  
   
 Lev turned away from Oikawa to face his mother. He still had some curry on his face. “Yeah! Long ago night! Yeah! He’s… well, he’s in university.” He wiggled his fingers together. “He’s in his second year. He’s studying physics! He’s so great and so cool and he finds me funny!”  
   
 Oikawa smiled. “How’d the date go, by the way?”  
   
 “Really great! I spilled some coffee on him by accident but he laughed at me a lot, and I told him you call me a noodle and now he calls me a noodle too!”  
   
 Oikawa snorted. Suga grinned. Daichi laughed.  
   
 Oikawa’s mother also smiled, very faintly.  
   
 Oikawa was so distracted by the rare sight he barely registered what Lev had said until all eyes were on him,  
   
 “Someone else has got a really cool boyfriend too!”  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes widened. Everyone looked at him. Daichi and Sugawara were looking at him with such pity (didn’t they understand that just made it so much worse?). He swallowed hard. “Me?” he asked as a joke. Take the hint.  
   
 Lev didn’t take the hint. To be fair, it was a pretty shitty hint. “Iwaizumi-san!”  
   
 His mother raised an eyebrow. “Iwaizumi… That name is familiar.”  
   
 “Oh, yeah.” Oikawa smiled as his hands, under the table, were digging his fingernails into his wrists. Suga looked like he was about to step in, so Oikawa went on: “The name’s familiar because we used to be camp buddies.” He didn’t want Suga to save him. Suga sat back in his chair, deflating (as if that was his one chance to save his best friend, to rekindle the lost friendship), while Oikawa’s mother gave a small nod, expecting him to go on. Oikawa just smiled. “But you’re too late, already missed him!” His smile almost looked real (almost). “We broke up already.”  
   
 Lev turned to him, fully. His smile dropped, eyes shaking (almost watering; almost). “What?” He shook his head. “No way?”  
   
 Both of Sugawara’s parents looked at him, surprised and worried.  
   
 Michimiya just drank from her glass of water.


	29. Pink

 “Button up your shirt,” she said, “Your hair’s too long,” she said, “It’s too wavy,” she said. “Your pants look too tight,” she said, “Fix your blazer,” she said, “Don’t wear a scarf; it’s too hot today.”  
   
 Oikawa listened to every little piece in turn, nodding his head each time. He continued to eat breakfast. “My hair is naturally like this, you know.”  
   
 “It’s unorderly,” Michimiya murmured just before sipping her coffee. “Comb it. Make it proper. It’s gotten too long.”  
   
 “Hm.” Oikawa looked at himself on his phone, with the front camera. She was right, he guessed. Usually he would have gotten it cut by now. He hummed and made a quick call to his hairdresser – Tanaka Saeko was more than happy to fit him in her schedule last minute before his classes. Neither on the phone, nor in person, did they talk much. She had wanted to catch up and all, but she sensed that he wanted peace and quiet. Saeko, though, always had a way to make him smile.  
   
  _“How about we do something fun with your hair?”_  
   
 Fun.  
   
  _Fun_ sounded _nice_.  
   
 Saeko went crazy with ideas and Oikawa had to reel her back, but eventually they chose something they both liked.  
   
 When he got to school, Oikawa walked in with a new air of confidence. His hair was a touch lighter than usual, perhaps no one would explicitly notice the lighter shade of brown, but it was all calculated. His uniform was bright white and pastel blue, so his hair was also a touch lighter; and, the newest addition, coloured highlights. Pink. At the feathers of his hair, the swooshes, the tips, he had bits of pink interwoven into the strands. It was seamless, almost looking natural as odd as it was. Tanaka Saeko (troublemaker extraordinaire) knew all about how Aoba Johsai, the private school, never liked anything ‘out there’, so she made sure it would pass in the educational/professional setting.  
   
 He used his phone to check his hair one more time, smiling. Finally, something that made him smile. He felt… good. He felt _good_ about himself.  
   
 Pink.  
   
 It was just the tips, but still.  
   
 It was fun, and it made him happy.  
   
 When he walked up the stairs a kouhai yelled, “Oikawa-senpai!”  
   
 Oikawa did a little twirl and then a peace sign.  
   
 She clapped excitedly. “It’s amazing!”  
   
 Others noticed too.  
   
 Hinata gawked, suddenly yelling a loud, “Hooooooooooooooooooooo!” in the hallway because his Senpai suddenly became even much more cooler than ever before.  
   
 Just before he got to his classroom on the third floor, though, he heard a teacher scoff at him. “And he’s a third year?” the angry voice murmured, “I’m glad he’s not one of mine.”  
   
 Oikawa wanted to snap a comeback, but bit his tongue.  
   
 “Actually,” came his own teacher’s voice – Ittetsu had a peaceful smile. “I quite like it. It’s not overdone, just a few highlights. It goes very well with the uniform.”  
   
 Oikawa hid his smile and ducked his head as he entered class. He took his seat, knowing people were looking at him. Good. Let them look. Iwaizumi hadn’t given him one glance, but Iwaizumi usually just looked down at his notebook nowadays. Out of the corner of his eye, Oikawa saw Suga staring at him, Daichi gave a couple looks as well. Let them look. Let them know he wasn’t destroyed. Let them know he could still have fun. Let them know he won’t break by shitty things or people in his life.  
   
 Oikawa felt _good._  
   
 But what really felt good was when their English teacher asked them to edit each other’s essays in pairs. Like Oikawa and Iwaizumi who had worked together in pairs all term, everyone already knew who their partner would be before anyone said anything. Oikawa glanced at Iwaizumi, feeling a little… odd. A little sick, sad, but—Iwaizumi looked at him, at his hair, at his face, lips parted ever so slightly.  
   
 Oikawa had a shy little smile; under his desk, he rubbed his knees together. “Hi.”  
   
 Iwaizumi just stared.  
   
 Oikawa smiled, looking down at his homework. He swallowed hard. He kept his eyes down when he asked, “Do you like it?”  
   
 Iwaizumi murmured something along the lines of gorgeous, and Oikawa had asked ‘What?’ to get him to clarify. Iwaizumi cleared his throat aggressively. “It’s…” He looked away. His cheeks burned. “It’s gorgeous…” And, before he could stop himself, “You’re gorgeous…”  
   
 Oikawa felt his heart do a flip.  
   
 It was warm and fluttery and it felt _good._ But it also…  
   
 It felt _right._  
   
 Oikawa blushed, looking away as well.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 At club, Oikawa went because he kind of had to. He was club president. Iwaizumi came this time, and Sugawara as well. There was a strange… distance between the three of them. They were civil, and busied themselves with things. Whether anyone else noticed or not, Oikawa didn’t know, but that was that. Oikawa didn’t know if he wanted them there or not. He almost wished they would just. Disappear. He wished they would run and hide and leave him. They left him, but…  
   
 But.  
   
 Oikawa knew they were right.  
   
 Oikawa knew Iwaizumi had his reasons to leave him.  
   
 Oikawa knew Sugawara had his reasons to leave him.  
   
 They had to do what they had to do for themselves. In that same regard, Oikawa had to do what he had to do for himself too. It was sad, a little, bitter taste in his mouth, like over-roasted black coffee, but he busied himself with sweet cookies and colourful drinks and luckily there were lots of questions about the voting so he was mostly distracted. There were a lot of questions about his hair too. Tanaka, Tanaka Ryuunosuke, asked if his sister had done it and then wanted to take about seventeen selfies with him to send to his sister. Nishinoya decided he wanted colour in his hair too: “A big yellow thunderbolt!” he yelled, “And I want it sticking up!”  
   
 Everyone clapped excitedly.  
   
 Oikawa laughed, actually laughed, loud and probably not attractive.  
   
 Sugawara spent most of his time talking to Yamaguchi, which Oikawa thought was good. Sugawara had always liked the idea of being a good Senpai, a good guide, mentor (and Oikawa wondered if it was because no one had ever been there for him). Iwaizumi talked to other people, keeping an odd distance from Hinata as well. But it was good, Oikawa thought. Iwaizumi needed to talk to other people. He needed other friends too.  
   
 After the episode of the day (three today), Oikawa got them to gather round for a meeting about how voting would work next day.  
   
 “Oh.” He paused, looking in the cupboard. “Looks like we ran out of snacks. I’ll have to go buy some new ones…”  
   
 Tanaka raised his head. “Are you buying them yourself? Do we have to give money?”  
   
 “Money?” Oikawa did a twirl and struck a pose. Peace sign included, of course. “Nah. We have club money.”  
   
 “Hooooooooooooooooooooo!” squawked Hinata. “We have club money?”  
   
 “Yes,” said Suga in a laugh. “I’m apparently the treasurer of the club. Since we mostly reuse stuff from last year for the festival, there aren’t a lot of costs to running this club. So we usually just buy cookies and keep the expenses low so the school likes us.”  
   
 “Hooooooooooooooooooooo!”  
   
 “Wow!” Nishinoya yelled and started jumping up in star shapes. “We’re so cool!”  
   
 Oikawa laughed. “We don’t have _that_ much money guys, calm down.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 After club, Oikawa caught sight of Kiyoko and Iwaizumi walking home together. A nasty little thought said ‘Maybe it’s a date’, ‘Maybe she just wants to steal my man’, but he knew it was bullshit. He sighed. He walked home, by himself. Suga was talking to Yamaguchi, so if Oikawa left now they’d catch different trains and avoid the awkwardness. As he walked to the train station, he hummed. He looked to the sky, the sights of azure and red, day melting into sunset. He thought about Kiyoko as he walked.  
   
 She was talking to Iwaizumi as Blade, no doubt. It was probably a business meeting.  
   
 She knew. She must have known. He wanted to hate her – damn, he wanted to hate her – but he knew better. He tried to imagine what it must have been for her… How hard it was to watch… Oikawa sighed as he stepped onto the train. He took a seat and the train moved. Kiyoko probably knew, he thought. The small cues she had given him since the start of the year, the way she reminded him Blade was not an enemy… She had her rules, she had her laws, and yet she risked it once or twice because she couldn’t bear to watch.  
   
 He closed his eyes.  
   
 Hinata and Tsukishima had offered to walk him to the station, but it was probably out of pity. He knew Tsuki had stayed after school to be with Hinata. He didn’t want to interrupt. And he didn’t want their weird lovey-dovey shit around him. But that’s how it was. Tsukishima had Hinata, Sugawara had Daichi, and Kiyoko’s thing with Yachi was slowly becoming real.  
   
  _It’s like everyone else but me and him…_ He knew it wasn’t true, but. It was kind of true.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
  _This is the way it is. I hate it but I can’t change it._  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Michimiya was sitting at a bar stool, staring at him, eyes flicking up to his hair. She said nothing for a full minute. “It’s pink.”  
   
 “Yeah.” Oikawa ran a hand through it. “Do you like it?”  
   
 “Not really.” She looked away from him. “I don’t care.” She gathered some papers together. “If you’re happy, whatever.”  
   
 Oikawa nodded slowly. Better than criticism, right? No. No it wasn’t. He looked away. A deep part of him wanted her to scream at him, yell at him, laugh at him, anything. But. Fuck it. He didn’t care. He didn’t need her reaction. He put his bag down and watched her flip through files. “Hey.” He swallowed hard. “Tell me about dad.”  
   
 She changed a stack of papers with another. “There’s nothing to say about him.”  
   
 Oikawa eyed her, watching for any minor facial cue. “How did you meet him?”  
   
 She paused, hands stilling over the page she was about to flip. “Sector,” she murmured. She flipped the page.  
   
 Oikawa leaned on the kitchen counter. “With Kenma?”  
   
 “Yes. Kozume, Moniwa, myself, some others, including him, we were all in a Sector together. Before I inherited Tokyo, some older woman was in charge. We both worked under her.” She flipped another page and grabbed a pen, making some corrections. It was a form about deceased Lights. Lights who had died in action… from other Lights. She had to sign her approval of the murder. “He eventually left, and joined a special task force.”  
   
 “The abnormal unit? Like Kenma?”  
   
 “Hm, yeah.” She flipped the page. “I was with them for a while.” She stopped. “We…” Her eyes softened, ever so slightly. “When I accidentally got pregnant, we decided it would be best if I stayed in a Sector. Stable income. Stable home. Your father brought in a lot of money, but it depended largely on what job there was to do. He would go months without paycheck, and suddenly make a ten thousand overnight – in Euros. At the time it was even more of a massive sum of money. It averaged out, but it wasn’t a place to raise a child.”  
   
 Oikawa listened. “So that’s why he was never around.”  
   
 “He was scared.” Michimiya scoffed. “Didn’t know how to raise a child, be a father. He was also strong, like Kozume. I’ve surpassed him since, but at the time he was stronger than the two of us combined. Darks are drawn to power. Lights like that summon incredible Darks… and he feared his very presence could destroy you. He’d bring monsters we could defeat, but not ones we could defeat while simultaneously protecting you.”  
   
 Oikawa looked down, to his feet. “So, you’re stronger than him now? What about Kenma?”  
   
 “Don’t ask so many questions, Tara.” Her fingers twitched. “Tooru.” She glanced at him. “Sorry. Whatever.” She looked down at her files.  
   
 Oikawa turned around, taking a deep breath. “Why are you even here?”  
   
 “I have my reasons.” Michimiya grabbed another stack of papers and signed the first sheet. “I can come and go as I please…” Her eyes flicked up at him. “Unless you want to challenge me.”  
   
 “No.” Oikawa walked to his room. “I’m going out.”  
   
 “Didn’t you just come home?”  
   
 “Are you complaining?”  
   
 “Not really,” she murmured.  
   
 “I just came home to drop stuff off,” he explained (even if he didn’t need to), “And get a change of clothes.”  
   
 “Okay. Whatever.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Oikawa was already outside when he started dialing the number. He put the phone to his ear, listening to the numbing sound of ringing.  
   
  _“Hello?”_  
   
 “Wakatoshi?” Oikawa held back the urge to take a deep, sharp breath of relief. “It’s me.”  
   
  _“Are you okay?”_  
   
 “I’m fine Wakato—”  
   
  _“—Wakatoshi isn’t what you call me, Tooru.”_  
   
 Oikawa pinched the bridge of his nose, fighting back a smile. “You’re right. No,” he said, “I’m not okay. Are you free, Ushiwaka-chan? Can we hang out? Just you and me? Remember, some people would die for solo experience with Oikawa Tooru! Interested?”  
   
  _“Yes. Can I pick you up?”_  
   
 Oikawa laughed. “Yeah. I’d love that.”  
   
   
 Ten minutes later, after picking him up, Ushijima Wakatoshi parked his car by a playground. The sun had already gone down and the kids were gone. When they got out, Ushijima stared at him; or, rather, at what he wore. Oikawa walked over to the jungle gym and sat on the second step. Ushijima sat next to him. Their arms were touching, knees were touching. Ushijima looked at him. “You’re wearing a skirt.”  
   
 “Good observation,” Oikawa said with a smile. He decided – for the hell of it – to wear a dark blue skirt and a white button-up shirt. He was a little cold, but he hugged Ushijima’s arm and pressed his forehead against his shoulder.  
   
 “What’s wrong?”  
   
 Oikawa closed his eyes and kept himself against Ushijima, loving his warmth, his smell, his touch. “Everything.”  
   
 Ushijima moved his arm, slowly to give Oikawa the chance to let go, and put it around Oikawa. He pulled him closer, not reacting as Oikawa’s cold arms moved around his torso and his head pressed against his chest. “Your hair is pink.”  
   
 “Like it?”  
   
 “Yes.”  
   
 Oikawa smiled. “Thanks, Waka-chan.” He nuzzled him, loving the big strong arms. It was like heaven.  
   
 “Talk to me.”  
   
 Oikawa sighed. “Well…” He straightened his spine a little. “I… broke up with Iwa-chan. Suga’s not talking to me—we got into a fight, I guess; it’s unrelated. Mom’s home. Exams are coming up soon. Just. Everything, Waka-chan… It’s all going wrong.”  
   
 Ushijima hugged him a little tighter, nuzzling the brown and pink hair. He missed the smell of bottom bitch (flowers and all). But he said nothing. Ushijima had long learned that (especially since talking wasn’t his forte) sometimes not talking was better. So he didn’t say anything… but he didn’t have to.  
   
 Oikawa nuzzled his chest, squeezing him. “I just… really need a distraction.”  
   
 “Would you like to see a movie?”  
   
 “Yeah.” Oikawa looked up. “Can you fuck my pussy after?”  
   
 Ushijima backed away a little. “I guess.”  
   
 Oikawa blinked. “You _guess._ ” He raised an eyebrow. “You can just say it if you don’t want to.”  
   
 “I want to.”  
   
 “Then what is it?”  
   
 “I’m not… exactly sure how to put it into words.”  
   
 “Look, if you want to, then do it. God knows I need a good lay. And it has to be you… You know how many guys have told me they’re ‘too gay’ for my cunt?” He pulled away, looking away. “It’s hard being a girl fag.”  
   
 Ushijima frowned. “You’re a boy, Tooru.”  
   
 “Barely.”  
   
 “You are.”  
   
 “Ha,” Oikawa said, louder than he needed to. “Maybe if I was a boy—with a dick—I bet Iwa-chan would still be with me.”  
   
 “I don’t know him very well, Tooru, but I wouldn’t exaggerate simply because you’re frustrated.” Ushijima frowned. “Did he not accept you?”  
   
 “I’m being a brat,” Oikawa murmured. He looked at Ushijima and saw a confused face. “He didn’t care,” he clarified. “He went down on me like I was All-You-Can-Eat Sushi.” He sighed, warmly, and looked up. “He didn’t even need soy sauce for that clitoris sashimi.”  
   
 “What are we talking about?”  
   
 Oikawa laughed, a hearty and full noise. “Nothing. Wanna make out with me? A little?”  
   
 “I would.” Ushijima looked at him. “As long as it doesn’t mean anything, Tooru. You know I don’t have the time for a relationship, so please don’t fall in love with me to get over Iwaizumi-san.”  
   
 “Nah. My biggest problem is my mom.” Oikawa looked at him. “Is that what you’re worried about? Me falling for you out of my desperation?”  
   
 “Yes.”  
   
 Oikawa smiled. “You’re cute.” He leaned in, nuzzling his cheek. “But I mostly just want to forget everything… Help me?”  
   
 Ushijima graced him with one of his rare smiles. He leaned in, pressing their mouths together. It was hungry. Hungrier than he was used to. Oikawa grabbed him with a fierce clutch and he couldn’t help but grab back, hand clasped on his thigh, just above his knee. Their mouths moved against each other, like they used to, tasting what they used to. It was strange, though, to kiss his ex and have no feelings.  
   
 Well, that wasn’t entirely true.  
   
 It was hard to have no feelings at all. Residual dust of what once was scattered around them.  
   
 Oikawa grabbed Ushijima’s hand, putting it to his chest, making his partner in crime feel his body.  
   
 Ushijima kept his eyes shut, cupping and groping what he could.  
   
 Oikawa gave a high pitched squeal into Ushijima’s mouth. Ushijima’s hands were – oddly – exploratory, as if he had never touched Oikawa before. It hit Oikawa, mid-kiss, why: It was because he never liked anyone touching his chest before, never liked anyone looking at his chest, never liked any emphasis on it. Not Ushijima, not Sugawara, not Akiteru, not Saeko, but—  
   
  _“—It’s not sexual, I just.” Oikawa was straddled in Iwaizumi’s lap. He finished unbuttoning the last button of his shirt and let it hang loose on his shoulders before he tugged it off. “I want to show something to you.”_  
   
 Ushijima’s hand grabbed him.  
   
  _Oikawa blushed and took Iwaizumi’s hand though, putting it to his chest, a couple centimetres under his nipple, where his breast used to be. “Here.” He guided the pads of Iwaizumi’s fingers over a line where the skin felt different, a little tougher?_  
   
 Ushijima’s hands moved down, between his legs.  
   
  _“Yeah, and even if you did, I wouldn’t mind.”  
    
 “That’s easy to say, Hajime, but not so easy to do.”  
    
 “Scars are cool.”_  
   
 Oikawa broke from Ushijima’s mouth, thighs shaking with excitement. He kissed Ushijima’s neck, biting it—earning him a sharp gasp. The indomitable Ushijima. Oikawa liked bringing him to his knees what little ways he could.  
   
 Ushijima, however, was not always a stickler. His fingertips grazed up Oikawa’s thighs; but, instead of going to his core, he tugged the skirt playfully, tugging at the fabric.  
   
 Oikawa couldn’t help but giggle. “I knew you’d like it.”  
   
 “You’re pretty with it,” murmured Ushijima. “Looks nice with your long legs…”  
   
 Oikawa smirked. “Too bad no real boys wear skirts.”  
   
 “Porn industry says otherwise,” he mused as he slipped a finger deeper between Oikawa’s legs. “And those animes you made me watch for club.”  
   
 Oikawa laughed, loud, into Ushijima’s neck. The space between his legs opened and he waited with an anticipatory smile.  
   
 “Are you not wearing underwear Tooru?”  
   
 “Maybe. Maybe not.”  
   
 “I don’t think there’s any ‘maybe’.”  
   
 “Stupid questions get stupid replies, Waka-chan.”  
   
 Ushijima scoffed, knowing he deserved it. He rubbed his thumb against Oikawa’s clit, feeling him jump. His index and middle finger moved down, rubbing him up and down, circling a ring around his entrance.  
   
 Oikawa shivered, closing his legs out of instinct, which only pressed Ushijima’s hands further against him. He whispered a soft, “Yay, it’s my cunt.”  
   
 “What.”  
   
 “Nothing. Put your damn fingers in me, Ushiwaka.”  
   
 “We’re in public, Tooru.”  
   
 “As if you care!”  
   
 Ushijima smiled and kissed his neck as he sunk two fingers in.  
   
 “Ah.” Oikawa threw his head back, cheeks beginning to burn with colour. His knees wiggled as the two fingers moved in and out at a steady pace, they rubbed up top, against that one spot that felt so nice. He gasped, closing his eyes and focusing on the feeling, how warm and wet he felt. Ushijima rubbed his clit every once in a while too, and the two stimulations seemed to melt and merge into one. He bit his lip, trying to hold back his noises. He didn’t know why, exactly, he wanted to hold them back. Maybe he was afraid of what he’d say.  
   
 Ushijima wanted nothing more than to claim that mouth, that neck, as his—but he kept an eye out.  
   
 They were doing this in public, after all.  
   
 It was unlikely anyone would come to this park (exactly why Ushijima chose it), but he kept an eye out nonetheless.  
   
 “Fuck,” whimpered Oikawa as he squeezed down on the fingers. His toes curled in his shoes. He leaned over, nibbling on Ushijima’s jawline. It was so fucking rigid, chiselled like the statue of Greek gods. He moved a hand up, moving it through Ushijima’s brown hair, feeling the short strands on the side and the longer ones near the top.  
   
 Ushijima’s fingers were rough, more calloused.  
   
 Oikawa liked that.  
   
 He wasn’t in the mood for gentle.  
   
 He felt so bare, as well. He hadn’t had the motivation to touch himself, at all, and now these fingers working fast and deep, rubbing along his walls and touching the right spots. The slow shallow movements to his clit, with the fast deep movements inside him…  
   
 Truth was, Sugawara’s hands were soft, and his movements were always gentle, careful, inside Oikawa. Ushijima’s were rough, with more rigid movements, formulaic almost. If Oikawa, honestly, had to choose whose fingers were his favourite… It would be Iwaizumi. The way his hand always seemed to have a good balance. Rough, but soft. Gentle, but with a sense of teasing. Rigid, but always finding a way to change it up.  
   
 Oikawa closed his eyes.  
   
  _Iwaizumi._  
   
 Oikawa gasped, sharply as the hand inside him began to speed up. His thighs were shaking.  
   
 Just thinking about Iwaizumi, the way he didn’t care about his scar or his body, the excitement in his eyes, the gentleness and the grace, but the way he had no shame in fucking him rough – the second time, anyway. The first time, he giggled, eighteen seconds. But the way Iwaizumi rubbed up against him, when they woke up hot and heavy and dreamlessly grinded against each other, the way Iwaizumi went down on him, eating him out like Oikawa was the only thing in the world, the way Iwaizumi always made sure he was okay, the way he was scared to cross boundaries, but had no problem – when they fucked outdoors in gym class – to hiss and slam into him shamelessly.  
   
  _Do you like me…? Do you like my body?_ Oikawa had asked.  
   
 And Iwaizumi’s reply still made him shiver in sinful delight, _Fuck yes! God, I love you, I love your tight little cunt._  
   
 Oikawa yelled, “Hajime!” Screwing his eyes shut, his body squeezed. He cried out, high, and loud, and his body vibrated from every cell in his body squeezing and releasing. He fell onto Ushijima, leaning on him, breathless panting. His eyes were still closed, but he slowly opened them. He noticed he was sweating, apparently, when he felt a bead of sweat drip down from his temple to his chin.  
   
 Ushijima removed his hand, and used his other hand to offer a handkerchief to Oikawa.  
   
 Oikawa took it. “S-Sorry.” He wiped the sweat off his face. “I… said his name… not yours.”  
   
 “Fine by me,” said Ushijima.  
   
 For half a second Oikawa wondered if he was just saying it, but then he remembered this was Ushijima fucking Wakatoshi. This was the man who didn’t know _how_ to say something just for the sake of saying it. Oikawa looked up at him, blinking. “You’re cool with that?”  
   
 “Maybe you and him still have a chance.” Ushijima’s face was unmoving. “Koushi’s told me some things. In between the train noises. He sounds good for you. Iwaizumi-san, I mean.”  
   
 “We…” Oikawa laughed, closing his eyes. A hundred thoughts filled his head. He summarised them, easily: “We don’t have a single chance.”  
   
 “Hmmm. Going up against unspeakable odds is something you like, isn’t it? Like when you tried for a whole year to convince me to leave sports team to join your anime club. The Tooru I know doesn’t give up.”  
   
 Oikawa laughed, thinking back. “Yeah, but… I do give up, if I know it’s a lost cause. That’s called maturity, Wakatoshi.”  
   
 “You’re hardly mature.”  
   
 “Hey!” Oikawa looked up.  
   
 Ushijima smiled. “The Tooru I know doesn’t give up, ever. To a fault.”  
   
 Oikawa looked at him, trying to bite back a comeback, but nothing came. They looked at each other for a long moment. Oikawa swallowed hard, nodding. “I’ll… think about it.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 They watched a movie afterwards. It was a dumb comedy, the kind no one really had to think about. Mindless and perfect. Oikawa laughed and laughed, laughing more than he thought he would. He snatched a few glances at Ushijima, finding him laughing as well. Which was good: Oikawa would have felt guilty if he was the only one who enjoyed it (even if he did insist on paying for both their tickets). It was dumb, but it was funny. When they walked out, Oikawa held his hand, just for the sake of holding someone’s hand.  
   
 He almost felt bad for closing his eyes and pretending it was Iwaizumi… but, honestly, he figured Ushijima wouldn’t care.  
   
 “Hey, Waka-chan,” he said. “Can I suck your dick?”  
   
 He got a very rigid reply of, “Yes.”  
   
 They drove off, to some abandoned area. Parking lot or something. They moved to the backseat where there was more room to maneuver. Their lips met again and Oikawa groped Ushijima’s crotch. It didn’t take long for him to get hard. Ushijima took his cock out and Oikawa grasped it, giving it a playful squeeze. Ushijima kissed him, with teeth, which was his usual sign for how horny he was. Oikawa used his hand for a bit, up and down, up and down.  
   
 “Tooru,” whispered Ushijima, hotly.  
   
 Oikawa felt a shiver. He wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing to get a form of self-validation from sex. On one hand, needing or getting addicted to validation from sex was probably a bad thing, but on the other hand… sex was supposed to feel good. Probably on the physical level, but more ways than one never hurt in moderation.  
   
 Ushijima grabbed the back of Oikawa’s head and pushed down.  
   
 Oikawa took the cock in his mouth. He bobbed up and down, up and down.  
   
 Ushijima’s hand was firmly planted on the back of his head, watching him. “You look even better giving head with your highlights.”  
   
 Oikawa blushed. The fact Ushijima said it like an honest compliment instead of dirty talk made him smile (or it would have, if smiling with a cock in his mouth was easy). Pink hair helps blowjobs. Who knew.  
   
 Ushijima’s cock was large, easily eight and a half inches. Oikawa and Suga often joked that’s where he got his ‘cocky’ arrogance from. It was thicker than Iwaizumi’s, and harder to keep in his mouth, but that didn’t stop Oikawa from trying. He bobbed up and down, up and down. His hand moved down, grabbing the shaft firm to make it easier.  
   
 Ushijima closed his eyes, moving his head back. He let out a noise that was heavy.  
   
 Oikawa shivered. He moved his head back and looked up. A messy string of saliva connected Ushijima’s cock to his mouth. He wiped it away, because Ushijima didn’t like messy things like that. Iwaizumi would have. Iwaizumi would have found it hot, and maybe on a good day call him a little slut for it. Oikawa moved back. “Fuck me,” he said as he repositioned himself.  
   
 Ushijima looked at him. “One sec. Condom.” He reached across his car to the passenger seat, opening the compartment.  
   
 “Oh wow, Waka-chan has dirty things in his car for all kinds of occasions, huh?”  
   
 “Yes I do.” Ushijima ripped open a condom and slipped it on. He grabbed Oikawa’s thighs and pulled him closer. He leaned forward and positioned himself above. “Are you wet enough?”  
   
 “Yeah just, fuck me.”  
   
 Ushijima pressed himself in, slowly, one inch at a time.  
   
 Oikawa gasped, putting his arms around Ushijima’s neck. He closed his eyes, feeling Ushijima fill him, inch by inch, slowly. Ushijima went about four inches deep before he moved back, then pushed in once more. He went deeper this time, then back. It was on the third thrust that Oikawa felt the trimmed dark brown hairs at the base of his cock against him. Oikawa felt, flooded, filled. Fulfilled. He squeezed on the cock. “Feel good?”  
   
 Ushijima nuzzled his cheek, whispering “Amazing,” in his ear.  
   
 Oikawa grinned, holding Ushijima close so their heads were next to each other.  
   
 Ushijima began moving his hips, in and out, in and out, moving slow but deep. He eventually picked up the pace, quickening his movements and giving them more force.  
   
 Oikawa let out a noise, more for Ushijima’s sake than his own. He closed his eyes, nuzzling Ushijima’s cheek. He breathed through his nose. To be honest, he wasn’t really feeling it. It felt good, but… He wasn’t into it. He didn’t mind, though. Ushijima had gotten him off, so now it was his turn to get Ushijima off. It was nice, though, to be fucked and stretched, to feel wet and to have the friction. To be used. He liked the noises Ushijima made in his ear, and the desperation that came with it.  
   
 Ushijima’s cock was bigger than Iwaizumi’s. Oikawa knew that. But he didn’t think he would feel the difference (he did). It was thicker too, and the curve was off. It was only then he realised Ushijima had a slight right curve to his cock. He had never noticed it before. He thought about Iwaizumi’s, and wondered what else – even with all his admiration – he had missed.  
   
 Ushijima kept fucking him.  
   
 Oikawa gasped here and there, kissed him when Ushijima was so inclined. He made convincing noises.  
   
 It was good, but it wasn’t what he wanted.  
   
 Ushijima was good, but it wasn’t _who_ he wanted.  
   
 Oikawa kept it up, the acting, the fake pleasure – he even faked an orgasm (which he thought was kind of fun, the way he could cry out like a slut and squeeze on the cock deep inside him, try to fake a couple spasms) – all for Ushijima.  
   
 Eventually Ushijima came, a loud grunt signalling his orgasm.  
   
 Oikawa laid back, breathless (faking that stuff was a lot of work). He watched Ushijima pinch the condom as he pulled out. He felt a little empty when Ushijima was gone, but he didn’t care.  
   
 “Um.” Ushijima awkwardly looked at him. “Thanks.”  
   
 Maybe he knew. Oikawa just smiled. “You’re wel- _cum._ ”  
   
 Ushijima just blinked at him.  
   
 Oikawa laughed, loud. When Ushijima said nothing, Oikawa just laughed louder.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Ushijima dropped him off at his place, reminding him that ‘texting services are good forms of communication’ and giving him one last kiss.  
   
 Oikawa went to the elevator and hit his floor number. He smiled as he ran a hand through his hair. He pulled out his phone and checked himself out. Damn. He liked his hair, and his skirt, and – in a rare moment – he liked everything about himself. Suffice to say that a lot of Oikawa’s confidence was an air of pretend, or it was a defensive reaction (an aura of fake confidence to keep the judging looks away). But his real confidence was constantly – and had always been – so much lower than people thought.  
   
 Only a few people knew that.  
   
 But now, he felt _good._  
   
 The door opened. Oikawa exited the elevator. He walked down the hall and stepped into his own place. “I’m home,” he called out. When he stepped into the kitchen, he paused. His mother stood a few feet away from him, gathering some things. Oikawa looked at them. It was her blazer, and her suitcase, and her purse. “You’re leaving?” he sounded disappointed, and he didn’t know why.  
   
 “Just for a few hours.”  
   
 Oikawa was disappointed, and this time he knew why.  
   
 She slipped on her blazer and grabbed her purse. “I’m meeting with a Sectin representative in your Sector because they’re too afraid of the Blood Ring.”  
   
 “Oh.”  
   
 Michimiya grabbed her suitcase. “I made dinner. There’s leftovers.” She paused for a minute, then looked at him. “Where did you go?”  
   
 Oikawa wondered what to say, but he decided ‘why not?’ “I got fucked.”  
   
 Michimiya blinked. “Really?”  
   
 “Wow you sound surprised. Thanks.”  
   
 “Well, I just.” She tilted her head. “I figured since you were… you know. Physically. Female. You would be… sexually stunted. Didn’t think anyone would take interest in you.”  
   
 Oikawa was shot through the heart. If his body was glass, it was shattered there. “Shut up,” he whispered. Louder, “Shut up.” His hands formed fists. “Get out!” He took a deep breath before, “Get the fuck out!”  
   
   
 Four minutes later she was three minutes gone and Oikawa grabbed a vase; he yelled as he launched it across the apartment, watching it shatter like he had.  
   
   
 He went into his room, slamming the door shut. His hands were shaking as he pulled out his phone. He went to his favourites, hitting the name that was there. He brought the phone to his ear.  
   
 An annoyed, _“What do you want?”_ came on the other end.  
   
 “Just so you know, Iwa-chan!” he yelled, “I just got fucked! My pussy is so hot and wet, and I got a guy to fuck my cunt rough! And I bet you wish it was you, huh!?”  
   
 There was no reply right away.  
   
 Oikawa looked around his room.  
   
 Then, _“Yeah,”_ came Iwaizumi’s voice from the other sigh. _“I do.”_  
   
 Oikawa swallowed hard, feeling tears well up in his eyes.  
   
  _“Do you feel better… after telling me that?”_  
   
 Oikawa wanted to scream yes, but a broken “No…” came out instead. His legs gave out and he fell to his knees on his carpet. “I just…” He couldn’t help sniffling. “I just…”  
   
  _“Tooru, I… I still love you. I… But I can’t. You know that.”_  
   
 Oikawa took a deep breath, covering his eyes with his hands as if that made him feel less pathetic. “I just… I fucking miss you… I… I know it was childish I just…” Why was he saying all this? “I wanted to hurt you, since that was… because that was proof you cared.”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s voice was calm and soothing as ever, _“Did you think I didn’t?”_  
   
 “No, I just—”  
   
  _“It’s okay.”_ He could hear Iwaizumi’s smile on the other side. A gentle, soft one. _“I told you, didn’t I? I know you’re insecure… I said I’d be honest with you. Truth is, I still love you. I… gotta go. My dad’s here… so… Later.”_  
   
 “Bye,” Oikawa whispered before the line died.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Later that night, Oikawa sat up on his bed in his pyjamas. He hugged his pillow tight and looked out the window. _I still love you,_ the words echoed in his mind as wondrously as the first time he even knew echoes were a thing. Ushijima’s voice said, _The Tooru I know doesn’t give up._. Oikawa bit his lip, feeling something inside him burn, come alive. Something buried – poorly buried – wanted to resurface. Yes, they had their differences… yes, things were going wrong… Yes, it all fell apart, but…  
   
  _“Truth is, I still love you.”_  
   
 Oikawa knew what he had to do.  
   
  _“The Tooru I know doesn’t give up, ever. To a fault.”_  
   
 For the first time, Oikawa felt like fire, growing and burning, bright.


	30. Lilacs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Woo~ Can you guys believe we broke 30 chapters?? You guys are still here?? I guess I'm doing _something_ right. LOL. Anyway, we also broke 150k words. I... get excited by milestones. I really do. Anyway, enjoy Chapter 30!
> 
> * * *

 When Iwaizumi’s phone rang, he paled. He grabbed it, knowing no one really called him except two specific people. One was his dad, who was visiting, the other was—Iwaizumi saw the Caller ID and sighed. He put his phone to his ear. “What do you want?”  
   
 The voice on the other end was loud and fast, like the way thunderous rain battered window glass: _“Just so you know, Iwa-chan! I just got fucked! My pussy is so hot and wet, and I got a guy to fuck my cunt rough! And I bet you wish it was you, huh!?”_  
   
 Iwaizumi didn’t know what to say. He swallowed hard. The idea upset him, of course; he wanted to be the one to be with Oikawa, but… “Yeah,” he said because he figured he’d start with that. “I do.” He looked down. He hadn’t missed how destroyed Oikawa sounded. “Do you feel better… after telling me that?”  
   
 A broken _“No…”_ was followed by sniffles. _“I just… I just…”_  
   
 “Tooru, I…” There was no point hiding it. “I still love you. I… But I can’t. You know that.”  
   
 He heard Oikawa take a deep breath. _“I just… I fucking miss you… I… I know it was childish I just… I wanted to hurt you, since that was… because that was proof you cared.”_  
   
 Iwaizumi blinked once, twice. He looked around his room. “Did you think I didn’t?”  
   
  _“No, I just—”_  
   
 “It’s okay.” Iwaizumi smiled, somewhat sadly. “I told you, didn’t I? I know you’re insecure… I said I’d be honest with you. Truth is, I still love you. I… gotta go. My dad’s here… so… Later.”  
   
  _“Bye…”_  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Iwaizumi’s thoughts were strange. Conflicted. It was odd. Like trying to find a needle in smoke and mirrors. He sat at his desk and glanced over to Oikawa by the window. He glanced away, quickly, but he had caught the sight of Oikawa and his hair and the cute pink highlights, the way it worked with his uniform, with sunlight, with his smile. He focused on the board, taking notes. He didn’t think about how pretty Oikawa was, or how many times he made Iwaizumi laugh, or the way he liked to tease and pose in ways that made Iwaizumi’s brain melt.  
   
 Like the picture of Oikawa with the kitty ears, in just a black pair of undies that had white paw prints, making a pawing motion with his hand, dirty smile on his lips.  
   
 Iwaizumi sighed, messing up his kanji as the instructor erased what he was writing.  
   
 He tried his best – honestly, he did – to avoid thinking about Oikawa’s smile, and those eyes, and that pretty face. The way his body moved, the way he always somehow managed to get what he wanted. The way he shamelessly flirted to get tea from the tea ceremony club, or the way he always pushed Iwaizumi around. It was weird, the way Oikawa had dragged him along with everything, and how little Iwaizumi had fought back.  
   
 He thought of how someone else had slept with Oikawa, his _ex-_ boyfriend. It was like Iwaizumi gave him up, and now he was getting jealous over the fact that someone else realised he was amazing. It’s not like Iwaizumi wanted to give him up… and he was pretty sure he wasn’t the only person in the world to get jealous over their ex having a good time, but still.  
   
 He stopped taking notes.  
   
 He thought of how smooth Oikawa’s body was, soft skin, floral scents. He thought of the noises, so sweet, that he made for another man.  
   
 Iwaizumi was jealous. He sighed. Envious. Of course he was.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Iwaizumi walked home, alone. There was no club, and no one went his direction so he had the time to think. If he had to be honest – he both loved and hated walking alone. He loved it, because time alone was something he honestly needed. Especially with his dad in town. But he hated it too, because he _almost_ wished Oikawa was around to invade his life and throw it in the air and ruin all his plans and all his dreams and turn his world into a song.  
   
 Iwaizumi frowned, scrunching his eyes shut.  
   
 He sighed.  
   
 He walked by a few stores, looking in the display glasses to distract himself.  
   
 He paused in front of a book store.  
   
 There were a few books on display, on stands.  
   
 One of them he had never heard of before, but he recognised it instantly.  
   
 Iwaizumi walked into the store and made his way over to the display case. There were a few copies of the book lined up nicely and he took one.  
   
  _Pink Lilacs_ by Haiba Lev.  
   
 Iwaizumi flipped through the pages to get a feel for how long it was. The page count was quite small, but so was the font so he figured it would take him a few hours to get through. Maybe less. He had always been a fast reader, and he loved to devour light novels in one sitting. He walked to the register and put it down.  
   
 The lady working there looked like a typical librarian, old with a face like a scrunched up napkin, but she smiled when she saw the book. “That is a great buy,” she said softly, “I loved it.”  
   
 Iwaizumi offered a smile. “Is it good?”  
   
 “Oh yes.” She looked at him and returned his smile. “It’s won several awards, you know. I highly recommend it. Well, everyone’s recommending it now.”  
   
 “Yeah, I uh, know the author?” Iwaizumi ran a hand through his hair. “Through a friend. I figure I’d support the writers I know, or something, right? What kind of book is it?”  
   
 “Oh it’s a bit of everything, multi-genre kind of thing. But the plot’s a mystery, and a good one! I don’t usually like mysteries… and especially not light novels. They tend to be… not lower quality, but they don’t go as deep as I like.” She scanned the item and the total was displayed. “But this one is fantastic. I’ve got my eye on the author, interested to see if he can top this one.”  
   
 Iwaizumi offered the yen and dipped his head politely, muttering a thank you, as he left.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 When he got home, he wanted to read it, but schoolwork got in the way – and his dad was being annoying.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Life was about rinses and repeats, as far as he knew. He sat in the same chair as always, in school. When lunch began Iwaizumi sat alone. He was used to it, really. His whole life was sitting alone, moving from school to school. Making friends, making lasting attachments, really coming close to people… he wasn’t good at that. He didn’t know how to do that. The only constant in his life was his dad, who came and went on whims of business, and maybe Oikawa Tooru, who… Well, he knew how that one went.  
   
 Still, he felt a little… odd to be sitting alone.  
   
 Making bentos for one was easier, but oddly less fulfilling.  
   
 There was no bright smile and “Wow Iwa-chan!”s and hugs and kisses and someone trying to feed him despite protests.  
   
 Iwaizumi had been invited to lunch with Hanamaki and Matsuwaka, second year and a third (respectively) on the volleyball team, who he bumped into from time to time. They were cute, a couple that was taking it “casual” but would probably die without each other. They were pretty good at not being lovey-dovey around him, but it was the little things Iwaizumi saw that hurt. The way Hanamaki occasionally tried to fix Matsuwaka’s hair, or the way they walked side by side so their knuckles would brush (almost holding hands; almost). When Iwaizumi saw that, he couldn’t help thinking of Oikawa. But Matsuwaka and Hanamaki were attending a volleyball meeting, so he was alone.  
   
 He decided to pull out his book and start reading. The opening line hooked him in: _Without even looking at the second body I knew it was going to be a beautiful day._ The left corner of Iwaizumi’s lips tugged upwards. He read and read, pages flying by. He was more than halfway through by the time the lunch bell rang.  
   
 “Hey,” said Suga, who sat in his own seat, next to him. “That’s Lev’s book.”  
   
 Iwaizumi used a random piece of paper as a bookmark and put it in his bag. “Yeah. I saw it. Bought it.”  
   
 Suga smiled. “How do you like it?”  
   
 “The word choice is kind of… odd, in a good way. Like Lev I guess.” He saw Suga snort and he couldn’t help but laugh himself. “I don’t know. It’s really good so far. The style’s interesting, has a nice modern edge to it. I like the characters.”  
   
 Suga’s smile turned into a grin. “Yeah.”  
   
 When their next professor walked in, they looked forward.  
   
 Iwaizumi side-eyed Suga for a second then looked forward.  
   
 Iwaizumi didn’t know what happened between Sugawara and Oikawa, but it seemed like they were over. Iwaizumi had noticed some stresses in their friendship from time to time (of course he had; he wasn’t blind). It almost felt like something bad was bound to happen, but to happen this way – and at this time, was pretty shitty in itself.  
   
 Iwaizumi glanced over to Oikawa.  
   
 Oikawa caught his eye, and smiled.  
   
  _Smiled._  
   
 Iwaizumi’s heart flipped. He looked forward.  
   
  _Fuck._  
   
 He was flooded with warmth, like nothing he’d ever felt before. He didn’t know how or why, but… Oikawa didn’t look at him with hate or disgust, or even sadness, but… happiness. With – almost – love. Almost. Or maybe it was… Iwaizumi swallowed hard, noticing his hand was shaking. He stilled it and felt something burning bloom.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Club blurred by as far as Iwaizumi was concerned. The anime episodes went by without him paying much attention, then they gathered for the voting. He already knew his choice – gay swimmers, of course – but listened as people talked about this and that. The only thing he said was when an orange haired hyperactive kid got up and Iwaizumi had to do his vice-presidential duties: “Hinata, sit down, we’re not watching Boku no Pico.”  
   
 “But!” Hinata whimpered and sat down.  
   
 Oikawa laughed as he wrote something down. “Thank you, Hajime. Bless your little cotton shoes.”  
   
 Iwaizumi blinked. He knew he didn’t imagine it. _Hajime._ That was the second act Oikawa did, soft and gentle, warm and – almost; almost – accepting.  
   
 Sugawara looked between them, smiling. Hinata stared, eyes wide as he tried to understand what was happening. Kiyoko hid her confusion well, but she eyed them before looking away.  
   
 Iwaizumi looked at him, then away.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Iwaizumi expected another rinse and repeat, but as he walked out of the school he felt a tug on his sleeve. He looked over his shoulder. Oikawa stood, less than an inch away from him, the softest, cutest smile on his lips. Iwaizumi looked at him, glancing to his lips, then his hair, then his warm brown eyes. He wanted to kiss this boy, God damnit, but he knew that would be a bad idea. He turned his body to face Oikawa and looked at him. Why was there no hate? His eyes examined each detail of his body language. Why was there no sadness?  
   
 “Hajime,” Oikawa said easily as he hugged his books to his chest. “Do you want to walk home together?”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s jaw tightened. “Tooru,” he murmured in response. It was the best thing he could think of. But it felt so right. So fucking right. “I’m…” He didn’t understand. He felt like running away, hiding, maybe even crying. He didn’t understand. “I’m not… sure that’s a good idea.”  
   
 “Okay.” Oikawa nodded, as if expecting that reply; and, realistically, what else was there to expect? “I’ll ask again tomorrow. If you’re comfortable with it, we can walk together then.” He waved goodbye and walked away, smiling.  
   
 Iwaizumi waved back. When Oikawa was long gone, Iwaizumi stayed still. “What the fuck.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 When he got home, he dove into Lev’s book to distract himself. The pages blurred by, and he yelled – loudly – “Fuck!”  
   
 Jurou peeked his head in the room. “Everything okay?”  
   
 He looked at his dad. “Just.” He got up and thrust the book forward at him. “Just read this. Read it now.”  
   
 “Is it good?” Jurou took the book and examined it, thinking nothing of it if it was so small.  
   
 “Just. Just read it.” Iwaizumi bit his lip, thinking back on it. Of course. Of course it was him. Fuck. The last twenty pages were just a series of twists after twists. In the end, though, the victim was the perpetrator. And he had almost gotten away with it all after faking his own death. He fucking hated the ending, but loved it. They solved it completely by chance—even though, a full wave of irony, the detective didn’t believe in chance. So maybe it wasn’t chance at all?  
   
 “Fuck,” he murmured and looked out the window. He hated the main character, but the truth was he _loved_ hating the main character. It was satisfying to see him break at the end, and be proved wrong, and still solve the case.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 A few hours later Jurou yelled, “Frick!” He charged into Iwaizumi’s room. “That was good!”  
   
 “I know right?” Iwaizumi made strangling hand motions. “Ugh! Got me all worked up!”  
   
 Jurou flipped the book and looked at the cover. “Haiba Lev, does he have any other books?”  
   
 “He’s got a book of short stories I want to get. And he’s working on a second one.” Iwaizumi noted his dad’s interest when he just randomly had all the answers. “Well, he’s a year younger than me. I know him. He’s really cool, kind of weird.”  
   
 “Wow.” Jurou smiled. “He lives here? How’d you meet him? Just by…” Jurou made the look of someone about to make a shitty pun, “Chance?”  
   
 “Oh my God.”  
   
 “Sorry!”  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled softly. “Well…” His smile faded. “He’s uh, he lives in another prefecture, but he’s Sugawara-san’s cousin. He’s got some parent troubles so he came here to stay with Sugawara-san’s family. Sugawara is,” was? “Oikawa’s best friend.”  
   
 Jurou hummed thoughtfully, pretending to flip through the book. “Oikawa… it sounds weird when you say his last name.”  
   
 “Tooru,” he corrected.  
   
 “Mhm. Much better.” He smiled, bright. “Tooru… you and him… you broke up?”  
   
 “Dad. I don’t want to talk about this.”  
   
 “What happened, Hajime?”  
   
 Iwaizumi sighed. “We… got into a fight. A pretty big one…”  
   
 “Was it worth it?”  
   
 “Yes.” Iwaizumi’s eyes softened. “Maybe.”  
   
 Jurou looked at him, not pressing the issue.  
   
 “Maybe…” Iwaizumi wasn’t sure if he was lying when he said, “Maybe we’ll get over it… maybe we’ll work it out…”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 The sunset along the water was brilliant and frightening, especially the very end when the sky was burning out on the last deepest of reds, threatening to twilight and night in a very second. The three of them stood atop a building, gathered as they said they would.  
   
 Yamaguchi was shaking.  
   
 He was suited up; _Corpse_ was the name given to him. He had heard it in his head at once. The tight leather hugged his body right; his right shoulder pad was a thick bundle of dark hide, strapped by leather cords around his chest, while his left shoulderpad was a skull. He looked at his hand, watching electricity cackle between his fingertips. He looked up to the other two.  
   
 He had met Angel only a few times, but he seemed different this time.  
   
 Since Angel wore no mask, it was easy to see how his scowl was blazing like hellfire. He twitched every once in a while, wings unable to stay still. His clothing, comparable to the white togas of the Greeks, seemed tied around him tighter than usual. He grunted, running a hand through his hair. He eyed Kuroo. “So.”  
   
 Kuroo hummed playfully. He wore his samurai kimono as usual. His blade – specialised and frightening – wasn’t around this time. He looked at them. “Michimiya leaves soon. Very soon. When she does, that’s a good time for an attack. Our little kitten, Kenma, won’t return for another day. Oikawa Michimiya works in a web of false information. Not surprising, since she runs the Blood Ring, but she puts her safety above all else. She’ll leave a day earlier than she says she will to avoid any… interceptors. Kenma’s not aware of this, nor are his subordinates, so…”  
   
 “So,” murmured Angel, “It’s a good chance to wipe out Skirt without those abnormal units to step in for emergency situations.”  
   
 “Bingo.” Kuroo grinned. “Let’s face it. Truth is, none of our attacks have worked, but that’s fine. They’ve walked away with more battle scars than we have. We’re breaking them down, little by little. Skirt and Blade are divided… but who knows what will happen. We need to use this opportunity. All the pieces are together.”  
   
 “But…” Yamaguchi swallowed hard. “O-Oikawa-san… and I-Iwaizumi-san…” He looked down at his feet, a tightness in his chest that made it too hard to breathe. “They’re… I’m…”  
   
 “Tadashi, listen up.” Kuroo put a hand on his shoulder. “How many times do I gotta say it? They’re the bad guys… well, Skirt at least. Blade’s indecisiveness is his biggest downfall; if we usurp power from Skirt, he’ll follow us like the dumb dog he is.” He sighed. “I know it’s not easy for you… but we have to bring Aanfang, the reversal. It’s time for an era of darkness. We need to end the light. Twist the world—shatter it, and save it.”  
   
 “Sacrifices,” said Angel, “Are necessary, Corpse.”  
   
 Yamaguchi nodded twice. “I know, I just…”  
   
 “Tsk.” Angel’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t forget… if you don’t play along, your little Kageyama-kun…”  
   
 Yamaguchi’s spine straightened, eyes widening.  
   
 Angel smiled.  
   
 “Look.” Kuroo patted Yamaguchi’s head. “It has to be done. We all know that.” He looked at Angel. “Now. Let’s make ourselves a little battle plan—I have some ideas.”


	31. Angel

 Angel’s anger was swirling, toxic, steeped in madness and hatred. Defeat after defeat… It didn’t matter what Kuroo said. It really didn’t. Kuroo was right when he said the Lights walked away with more battle scars than they did, but failure was failure – and nothing changed that. Angel’s attempts were foiled, ruined, damage lessened. Even if the damage was significant and lasting, like putting another crack to a large piece of glass, it wasn’t enough: It helped weaken the structure, but as long as the glass didn’t break, it didn’t break. And Angel’s only purpose was to make it break. The only reason Angel was brought into existence was to make that fucking glass break.  
   
 His wings spread wide with enough force to make a deafening sound. “I’m done.” His eyes burned. “I’m done with this game, Kuroo.”  
   
 Kuroo picked at the dirt under his nails, not looking at him. “Yeah?”  
   
 “I’m ending it. Blade and Skirt will be eliminated… tonight. You and Corpse can have the others. But them… I’ll do what I have to do.” Angel’s wings came close around his body. He grabbed his own wrist and squeezed on it. “I’ll end this. It’s either kill or be killed. I’m just so… damn… tired of this chase. This game of cat and mouse, your monsters, your bullshit… You want us to attack all at the same time in these technical plans, but when none of them work you don’t even look surprised. You’re not taking this as seriously as I am.”  
   
 “Hm.” Kuroo yawned. “So what are you gonna do about it?”  
   
 “I’m doing this my way.”  
   
 Kuroo hid his smile. “Okay.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Kageyama clasped the hand next to his.  
   
 Yamaguchi jumped.  
   
 It was lunch time and Kageyama had approached him silently. Well, no. That wasn’t exactly the case, was it? People talked often about how Kageyama just ‘appeared’ out of nowhere. He didn’t do anything special as far as he was concerned, but he didn’t exactly remember leaving his classroom and walking down the hall to find Yamaguchi. He just thought of doing it and he must have done it automatically. Like a blackout, or something.  
   
 Yamaguchi’s fingers slowly wove into Kageyama’s and his cheeks burned. “Hi.”  
   
 For a second Yamaguchi expected Kageyama to tease him for blushing (since anybody would have), but Kageyama didn’t. He just tilted his head. “Are you okay?”  
   
 “Yeah.” Yamaguchi smiled, loving the way their hands seemed to ‘fit’ right.  
   
 “You look… worried.”  
   
 Yamaguchi shook his head. “I’m fine.”  
   
 The bell rang again.  
   
 Kageyama let go of his hand. “I have to go to class; it’s starting,” he stated as if Yamaguchi wouldn’t know.  
   
 Yamaguchi laughed, nodding. “I’ll talk to you later.”  
   
 Kageyama nodded as well and left. He went to class and took his seat next to Hinata. His best friend’s face was all scrunched up like a stupid napkin. “Dumbass,” he murmured. He (oddly enough) didn’t feel like yelling or getting angry or going haywire after being with Yamaguchi. He just felt… calmer. More at peace. But, one thought crossed his mind: _Why does everyone look so worried?_  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Tsukishima sat in class 2-5, which was for the advanced students. He had already twice revised the chapters of the textbook corresponding to the current lesson, so he didn’t feel the need to pay too much attention. In fact, he zoned out. Tsukishima Kei, however, did not zone out the way other people did. His eyes narrowed, as if he was focusing on some detail, or thinking about something specific. Teachers always thought he was very absorbed in their lectures when they saw that look; but, in truth, he didn’t even notice when their English lessons changed to Math.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Akiteru was drinking a latte from the shitty student-run coffee shop on campus. He had a ten minute break between his university classes, and he had spent seven minutes of it in line for the garbage latte. But! It was cheap. Half the price it would be if it was from the other local coffee shops. And, for university students, cheap was the way to go. He got into class – Engineering 295: Into to Thermodynamics II – and took his usual seat. He put his coffee down and pulled out his notebook. His friend, Yaku, sat next to him but Akiteru wasn’t in the mood to talk. Instead, he spent the lecture mindlessly taking notes of this and that. Eventually, however, his attention waned and he looked out the window.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 When school ended for the day, Iwaizumi felt a tug to his sleeve. It was, indeed, a rinse and repeat of the conversation yesterday.  
   
 “Can we walk together, Hajime?”  
   
 Or it would have been a rinse and repeat, if Iwaizumi wasn’t ready for it. Iwaizumi was one of those people who would only think of the best things to say during an argument _after_ the argument. His eyes narrowed and he took a step back. There was a push and pull dynamic strangling his mind. On one hand, he wanted nothing more than to walk side by side with Oikawa, but on the other hand: “What do you want from me, Tooru?”  
   
 Oikawa blinked. He shook his head. “I just want to talk.”  
   
 “About what? The phone call?”  
   
 “What?” Oikawa blinked. Then, of course, he remembered. “No… not that. I’m. I’m sorry about that…”  
   
 “Hm.” Iwaizumi swallowed hard.  
   
 Oikawa motioned to walk, and Iwaizumi followed. They walked side by side, in silence for a while. Oikawa took a deep breath. “I am sorry about that. It was pretty immature of me.”  
   
 “I never exactly expected maturity from you.”  
   
 “Ouch, Iwa-chan!” Oikawa pouted. But smiled.  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled as well; whether it was because of Oikawa’s smile, or the old nickname, he didn’t know.  
   
 “Please,” whispered Oikawa. “Talk to me.”  
   
 “I don’t know what you want… and I don’t know if I want to. You know what? I’m scared.” Iwaizumi stopped. “I’m scared of what you might say, worried about what you might convince me to do, so I’m…” He sighed. “Never mind.”  
   
 “I don’t want to convince you to do anything you don’t want to do.”  
   
 “Yeah right.” Iwaizumi’s eyes narrowed. “You made me join your stupid club. And then you made me your vice-president.”  
   
 “First of all the club’s not stupid.” Oikawa pouted again. “And second of all…” He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment before opening it again. “And you joined so you could be with me, didn’t you? You made that decision.”  
   
 “That’s not entirely true.”  
   
 “No, you’re right. But, Hajime.” Oikawa frowned. “If you really didn’t want to, I wouldn’t have forced you. I just wanted you around. That’s not a crime, is it?”  
   
 “No.” Iwaizumi frowned. “But you forced me to be your vice-president.”  
   
 “I needed someone, Hajime. You’re free to quit.”  
   
 “Maybe I will.”  
   
 Oikawa stared at him, another pout.  
   
 Iwaizumi couldn’t help but stare back. The way he was just so…  
   
 “Hajime,” he said firmly. “This is different.”  
   
 “How?”  
   
 “I don’t need you. And I won’t force you. Yeah, you’re right, I made you my vice-pres’ for an _anime_ club that meets less than three times a week. But I don’t feel bad about that. And I shouldn’t. That’s not important. Not like this. Not like the Sector, or Sectin.”  
   
 A car zoomed past them.  
   
 Iwaizumi glared. What was he supposed to do? What the fuck was the right answer?  
   
 Oikawa shook his head. “If you don’t want to join me, then don’t. But I… _I want you by my side_. Don’t you realise that?”  
   
 Iwaizumi took a deep breath. “Tooru, don’t do this to me.”  
   
 “I’m giving you a choice, Hajime.”  
   
 “Don’t give me a choice!” Iwaizumi yelled, “You know I don’t deal with Sectin or anyone related to them! Even… even if it’s you… even if, maybe, maybe I want to, but I…”  
   
 Oikawa opened his mouth to reply, but his eyes moved to the side.  
   
 Drifting down in a column of light, Angel watched them with a look of dissatisfaction and disgust, like the way Monarchs looked upon groveling, filthy peasants. “I’m sorry,” came the melodious voice, “Am I interrupting?”  
   
 Oikawa and Iwaizumi turned, both of them quiet.  
   
 “I have your attention? Good.” He stretched one arm out and a glowing gold chain appeared; it launched downwards and coiled around something. The image of what it was blurred, but—  
   
 “Yama-chan!” Oikawa yelled.  
   
 Iwaizumi’s eyes widened. “Yamaguchi?”  
   
 Angel smiled. “Unlike you two, you worthless bacteria, my ability to blend this world to the human world is unparalleled. It doesn’t matter if he’s not a Light… I can kill this little one of yours. Will you two be good Senpais and do what I say? If you don’t…” He yanked the chain up and grabbed Yamaguchi’s throat with his other hand. “This one will know pain unlike anything you’ve ever even considered, only to be slaughtered and made into a monster of your worst imaginings.”  
   
 “Yama-chan…” Oikawa’s eyes widened.  
   
 Iwaizumi bit his lip. “What are your terms?”  
   
 “Simple, actually. Which is good because you two understand very little. The pit. Come. Five minutes or he’s dead, got it? Just you two; no one else. If any of your lovely little friends come, tell them to turn back. Maybe shoot them if you can, since you’re good at that Skirt, or this one dies.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Yamaguchi was held up by the chain. He hung atop the highest building surrounding the pit. He was unharmed, but pretending to be passed out. Angel had checked, making sure the ‘hostage’ was secured. Should anything bad happen, Yamaguchi had the power to thunderbolt himself to safety. A kind of vorpal, speedy movement that allowed him to warp forward. His abilities had expanded as time went on, but he wasn’t the only one. Yamaguchi had a feeling that Angel, too, was more dangerous than ever.  
   
 Angel waited and waited.  
   
 Yamaguchi stayed still, head down, as he asked, “Are you sure this will work?”  
   
 “You know them well enough, don’t you?”  
   
 “I know but… Are you sure about this?”  
   
 Angel waited. Finally, “They’ve come.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 It was odd, to stand side by side. Oikawa’s butterfly wings were glowing brighter than ever, chainsaw firm in his right hand, rifle in his left. Standing by his side, warped in the flickers of darkness was Iwaizumi. He had a blade in each hand, swords ready on standby. His armour looked sharper than ever, with wicked curls and edges that hadn’t been there before. Neither of them wore a mask. It was only Angel, with his cross-shaped one, that hid his identity.  
   
  _This is what I want,_ Oikawa thought to himself.  
   
 Iwaizumi swallowed hard. _Tooru and I… the same side, both of us._  
   
 Angel descended in front of them and touched down on the ground. He raised one wing and rubbed his neck. “Well well. You had a total of ninety seven seconds to spare, but you came.”  
   
 “Angel!” yelled Oikawa, “Leave innocent people out of this!”  
   
 “We’re here,” said Iwaizumi. “So release Yamaguchi-kun.”  
   
 “No.” Angel smiled. “You see… I still need him. Your friends can’t interfere. Didn’t you hear me? I have to have a reason to make them leave; or, rather, to make you make them leave. It’ll be a two on one…” Angel closed his eyes. _My last showdown with these idiots._ His eyes snapped open, glowing bright white behind his mask. His voice began to ripple with a surge of power: “But that’s all relative, of course. To think you are both so strong, but not strong enough. Your surprises mean nothing to me. I’ve analysed your data! I know my enemy greater than they know me, and I know I am stronger. That’s all there is… To think (really, it’s laughable) that you’re Oikawa’s daughter!”  
   
 Oikawa squeezed his weapons, growling.  
   
 “Oh… I’m sorry.” Angel smiled. “I meant _son_ , of course. Not that your silly little skirt shows it.”  
   
 “I can wear whatever the fuck I want, Angel!”  
   
 “Actually… you can’t.” Angel lifted off the ground, wings spreading outwards as did his arms. “These outfits are made for us by some higher power. We can’t change them. Look at you, maybe it’s symbolising how you’re just a dirty crossdresser, or maybe it just really thought you were a girl.”  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes narrowed and blue lights swirled around him.  
   
 “Tooru,” whispered Iwaizumi, “Calm down.”  
   
 “Shut up.”  
   
 “He’s trying to rile you up, Tooru.”  
   
 “Well, it’s fucking working!”  
   
 Iwaizumi swallowed hard. “So calm down.”  
   
 “I am calm!” yelled Oikawa as he swung his chainsaw – mindlessly – at Iwaizumi.  
   
 Iwaizumi barely jumped back in time, dodging the strike. Or at least he thought. The metal of his shoulder pad burst and he grunted, falling to one knee.  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes widened. “Hajime…” He didn’t see the gate of light until the beam pierced through his chest. He cried out.  
   
 Angel sighed. “Too easy, really.”  
   
 Iwaizumi got up and charged. His blades grinding against the ground before he jumped, raising his weapons above his head together, then slamming down.  
   
 Angel moved backwards like a blur.  
   
 Iwaizumi realised he jumped too far; he had jumped off the building. “Oh shit!” _I can’t fly!_ He twisted his body and grabbed onto one of the window ledges.  
   
 Another gate of light opened.  
   
 Iwaizumi kicked off the wall and did a backflip, throwing one of his blades at the beam of light. The two projectiles hit, throwing each other off. Iwaizumi landed on another ledge. “Fuck.”  
   
 Up above, Oikawa aimed his rifle and fired several shots.  
   
 Angel blurred until he was behind Oikawa. “Moron.” A spike of white glass shot out from his hand and stabbed the wound from his earlier shot. “Weren’t you the stronger one?” The glass pierced through his chest. Oikawa screamed, blood pouring from his centre. Angel brought his wings close to his body, then expanded them, revealing fourteen gates of light. At once, they blasted forward, sending Oikawa flying.  
   
 Oikawa’s body was flipping and spinning mindlessly through the air.  
   
 “Tooru!” Iwaizumi kicked off the building and chased after him. He narrowed his body, reducing air resistance and chased after him. “Tooru!”  
   
 Oikawa opened his eyes. “Hajime!” He reached out his hand.  
   
 Iwaizumi grasped onto it and spun, pulling Oikawa close. “Hold on! This’ll hurt!” He twisted his body so Oikawa was being carried somewhat bridal style. Darkness gathered around him and he opened a portal. When they sunk in, Oikawa expected it to burn as it always did, but he realised Iwaizumi had a barrier around them. They shot out of the darkness backwards with force, but Iwaizumi was ready. They ejected onto the street below, and Iwaizumi planted his feet down to deaccelerate them. He ended up in a half-kneel, skid marks across the ground, and Oikawa in his arms.  
   
 Oikawa looked at their position. “Why does this keep happening?”  
   
 “Stop complaining.”  
   
 Angel descended. “Please. Your voice is irritating!” He swiped his arm and more gates fired.  
   
 Oikawa kicked off Iwaizumi and spun, his wings formed a shield and he deflected the lights. He landed with grace and his wings reappeared. He held out his arms and his weapons returned to him.  
   
 Iwaizumi did the same. They were on the street below. It was a peaceful area, not many humans, not many cars, but the occasional one zoomed by. “Fuck. That was a close one.”  
   
 “Mmm.” Oikawa frowned. “And we didn’t even get one hit on him. That’s so not fair.”  
   
 “No, it’s not.” Angel eyed them, calculatingly. “Especially since I’m not like you Lights. I never had my awakening nor my purification. I’ve been empowered by Kuroo Tetsuro – and that is so, so ironic considering your mother was the one who ‘killed’ him.”  
   
 Oikawa frowned. “I’ve heard that name…” He blinked. “Weren’t they friends?”  
   
 “Friend is a good word for what they once were, I suppose.” Angel smiled. “Kozume Kenma was also a friend of hers, too, you know. Most of the initial victims of the Blood Ring were her closest friends. She had many friends, once. Ever since she got in that accident—to save you, mind you—she’s not capable of being friends with anyone.”  
   
 Oikawa looked down.  
   
 Iwaizumi looked at him. “Tooru?”  
   
 Oikawa shook his head.  
   
 Angel’s smile turned to a grin. “It gets so much worse, too. She tried to kill Kuroo to silence him. A stab in the back. Strong as she is, she can’t overpower Kuroo. The truth is only Kozume Kenma is the only one strong enough to rival Kuroo… but he’s not here, is he? It’s your Sector, isn’t it? So then why is there a ban? Oh right. Because you’re a mommy’s boy. Look, I even called you a boy that time. She wanted him banned, so he is. But she’s not going to be coming either, is she?”  
   
 Iwaizumi frowned. “Why not? Doesn’t she care that much?”  
   
 Oikawa paled, putting the pieces together. “She leaves a day earlier than she said she will… she always does it. Stops anyone from ambushing her on the way to Tokyo.”  
   
 “That’s right!” Angel laughed, a lovely noise. “So she’s safe, and Kozume’s safe, but you’re not.”  
   
 Iwaizumi frowned. “Stop talking so much trash. What’s your deal, Angel? What are you even after?”  
   
 “Reversal,” Angel said. He watched the way Oikawa’s eyes widened and the way Iwaizumi almost dropped his weapon. “We will bring forth the Reversal: The end of all we know!”  
   
 “Are…” Iwaizumi tightened his grip on his swords. “Are you fucking nuts?”  
   
 Oikawa shook his head. “That’s… that’s a bad thing!”  
   
 “Very. A very bad thing.” Angel tilted his head. “For some people.”  
   
 Iwaizumi frowned. “And what the fuck do you mean by that?”  
   
 “Reversals shift the world, flip it around. When it comes to Lights and Darks, everyone will return to a zero state. Those in power will lose their power. Those who have been suppressed and silenced will become free, and everyone will – again – be made equal!” Angel held his arms out. “I see it in you, Iwaizumi Hajime… you understand me. Humans were born equal, but it is the systems humans have created that deny us this right! You agree with this philosophy, don’t you Iwaizumi?”  
   
 Iwaizumi eyed him, frowning.  
   
 Oikawa shook his head again. “You’re wrong!” He dismissed his chainsaw and put a hand to his chest. “A reversal… it will… It’ll kill everyone… We will be reduced to such a zero state that we won’t have any powers, at all, but the Dark – or… I guess they would be Lights – the monsters will still seek us out, thrash at us, murder us!”  
   
 “Not everyone.” Angel closed his eyes, keeping his hands raised to the air. “I am not a Light, but I am no creature: Simply put, I am a Dark. That is why…” He brought his hands down. Pools of black liquid appeared and feline arms reached out. Monsters pulled themselves, slowly, out of hell and reached upwards. “They heed my call. Come with me, accept the reversal before it happens, and you can be on top of the world when the power dynamic shatters. There, atop the world, we can make sure that something as disgusting as Sectin never exists!”  
   
 “Angel!” Oikawa eyed the beasts. “You’re crazy… you’ve fucking lost it… That’s what you’ve wanted? This whole time? It’s ridiculous!”  
   
 Angel laughed. “Is it? What do you think, Iwaizumi?”  
   
 “It is.” Iwaizumi swung his arms. His blades on standby shot out, stabbing each creature and killing them. “I hate Sectin… but they do their job. They prevent the Reversal… They’re power hungry and overly controlling. Some Sectors are even worse. But… without them—”  
   
 “Without them,” interrupted Angel, “We would have a reversal. Don’t you understand it, yet? You and I are the same. Sectin isn’t needed!”  
   
 Oikawa looked at Iwaizumi. “You can’t believe what he’s saying.”  
   
 “I don’t.” Iwaizumi rubbed his neck. “The body count of the reversal would be high. That’s not the kind of blood I want on my hands.”  
   
 “Sacrifices,” said Angel, “Have to be made. Everyone has their secrets, don’t they?”  
   
 Iwaizumi shook his head. “You’re fucking nuts, Angel. Whatever philosophy you’ve bought into, it’s fucked up and you know it.”  
   
 “I want to change the world! After all, that good for nothing ally of yours is the child of a mass murderer!” Angel growled. “What’s the body count of Tokyo, huh? What’s the number on the Blood Ring? People like Oikawa Michmiya are in charge of Sectors all around the world! Ever since she’s created the Blood Ring, more and more people are following in her footsteps. While none are as violent as Tokyo, there exists forty-six Blood Ring-themed Sectors around the globe! Sectin is the system that funds and supports that murder! So I don’t care if I kill innocents… I don’t care if there’s a sacrifice or a body count… I will raze Sectin to ash!”  
   
 Oikawa’s jaw tightened. “I know what she’s doing is wrong… but, but I want…”  
   
 “We know what you want, Tooru,” said Angel. His voice began, somehow, beautifully pleasant: “You want to create a Sector just like your mother’s. You want power and control, above all else. You shoot your own teammates in the back, double cross with the ‘bad guys’ and then you play the little innocent virgin when you’re just the same fucking murderess as your mother is.” Gates of light lined the skies as thousands appeared. “Face it!” he yelled with rasp in his voice, “All you want is to turn this city into a warzone!”  
   
 “No! I don’t!”  
   
 “You do!” His feathers ruffled and his wings seemed to enlargen. “When I found out what you were doing, of course I had to stop you!” A growl burned deep in his throat until he released a roar, firing thousands of beams of light.  
   
 Oikawa created his barrier out of his wings, while Iwaizumi twirled a set of blades together to form his own shield. But both of them were blasted to shreds, shield and barrier shattering, armour being pierced, clothes torn, both thrown back from the sheer onslaught of a massacre of lights.  
   
 Oikawa backflipped, landing on the ball of his foot and charged forward. “You don’t know shit!” He jumped into the air, wings forming once more. They were bright red, mirroring the sunset. “You’re right, I wanted that once…” He closed his eye and summoned his rifle, charging up a shot with both hands. “But you’re wrong!” He fired a bullet that burst into several different shots, raining down in a volley.  
   
 Angel moved back, dodging several of the volley shots, then spun, using the force to deflect a direct hit with his wing. He was unscathed. He flew up high and created a column of glass from his hand; it shot out of his palm and took the shape of a gladius. He swung his new weapon at Oikawa.  
   
 Oikawa switched to chainsaw and blocked the strike. Their blades locked, midair. “That’s not what I want.” He growled as Angel’s weapon shoved at him. He shoved back, sparks ripping from the contact. “I lose my way, I know, but I want to protect this Sector! Someone has to fight the Dark: I can’t let Tokyo and their twisted ways deal with all of it! I need to protect the people here!” He shoved Angel away.  
   
 Angel flipped in the air and fired beams of light.  
   
 Oikawa twisted his body, dodging. “I want a Sector that can help the Light, help everyone!”  
   
 “Everyone, huh?” Angel smirked. “Even him?”  
   
 Iwaizumi appeared above Angel and swung down.  
   
 Angel blurred backwards.  
   
 Iwaizumi flipped as he moved downwards, landing on a lamppost.  
   
 “Even him.” Oikawa landed on the ground next to him.  
   
 Angel smiled as he drifted down. “By forcing him, no doubt.”  
   
 “No!” Oikawa looked up; a beam ripped into his shoulder. He cried out, falling to the side. Damnit. Talk was dangerous—Angel was distracting him. Fuck.  
   
 Angel swooped in, going for the kill.  
   
 “Tooru!” Iwaizumi moved between them; his own blades hit Angel’s glass sword.  
   
 Angel lifted his left hand up and another glass spike ripped out. He swung down.  
   
 Iwaizumi’s standby blades moved on their own, blocking the strike. “Ngh.” He winced. Darkness swirled around him and he blasted Angel back.  
   
 Angel drifted back, gritting his teeth, feathers fell around him. He moved back in.  
   
 Iwaizumi charged in as well. It took two of his blades to block properly against one of Angel’s glass weapons. But he wasn’t afraid. When Angel started with a horizontal strike, he used both weapons to shove his hand away. He followed it up with a quick pierce towards Angel’s chest.  
   
 But Angel dodged by moving to the side.  
   
 Iwaizumi vaguely wondered why Angel wasn’t raising his arms to strike, then he realised of course—Angel had other weapons.  
   
 Four beams of light were like snipers, going in for one-hit kills.  
   
 Oikawa slid by, so he was back to back with Iwaizumi, and shielded him. “We’re doing pretty good!”  
   
 “Not bad!” agreed Iwaizumi.  
   
 “Hm.” Angel shattered his glass swords and moved his arms in an ‘X’ shape over his chest. He reached past his shoulders and grabbed something, suddenly wincing. “I am… beyond…” He growled in pain. “Both of you!” He ripped out his wings.  
   
  _He ripped out his wings._  
   
 Blood exploded from his back in thick spurts and gushes as light burst around him. His wings seemed to almost crumple and compress, but it was crystallising. Feathers turning sharp and bladed, Angel held onto the bones – the handles – and took a stance as if he was holding two swords. “Sacrifices,” said Angel, “Must be made!” He blurred forward with unparalleled speed.  
   
 He swung.  
   
 Both of Iwaizumi’s swords shattered and his armor was cleaved; he was thrown into the sky, as if he was nothing but a swatted bug.  
   
 Oikawa moved to fire but—  
   
 Angel was gone.  
   
 Oikawa looked left, right.  
   
 Angel appeared above and behind him from thin air. He swung hard.  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes widened as he screamed. The feathers were sharp as diamonds, raking into his skin and tearing his flesh. He was tossed aside and he cried as he forced himself up.  
   
 If they didn’t know any better, they would have thought Angel had no form, just that he was a form of energy, or a type of image being flickered here and there. But when he swung, the ground below him shattered. He slashed from left, he slashed from right, above, below, front and back—every axis was another way to destroy them.  
   
 Iwaizumi backed up, against Oikawa. Once again, they were back to back. Angel’s speed was faster than light, and he maneuvered like he still had his wings. They couldn’t even properly block; all they could do was lessen the force of a blow by sacrificing a weapon. When Oikawa’s chainsaw snapped and his rifle was battered until it was deformed, he yelled: “We need a plan!”  
   
 “So now you want to work together, huh?”  
   
 “Seriously, Hajime!? At a time like this?”  
   
 “I—”  
   
 Angel slammed at them from a side, sending both of them flying forward, tossing and turning as they smacked the ground several times, spinning and spinning. Angel jumped high and slammed down in front of them, shattering the road completely.  
   
 They both got up.  
   
 Oikawa summoned a new set of weapons and growled. “Hajime—please—follow my lead!”  
   
 “You got it.” Iwaizumi nodded. “I’m with you.”  
   
 Oikawa felt as though he could move mountains. When Angel charged at him, he figured Angel would aim for his side from the front. Though he couldn’t see, though he only had a split second, he fired.  
   
 Angel spun in the air, dodging the projectile. He landed with a skid only two feet from Oikawa. He raised his right arm and readied a swing.  
   
 Oikawa moved back as Iwaizumi moved forward. Oikawa’s eyes narrowed. He fired—he missed—on purpose. His shot was too much to the right, but Angel moved anyway, not taking the chance. It was only as he was moving he realised Oikawa’s plan. Forcing him to move in one direction was forcing him to move into Iwaizumi’s path. Though he was faster than either of them, Iwaizumi was already mid-attack before Angel knew what was happening.  
   
 The blade sunk deep.  
   
 Dark red blood.  
   
 Iwaizumi had summoned his two-handed blade just in time to pierce Angel right through the chest. Angel coughed out blood and roared. His crystal wings cracked and shattered.  
   
 Iwaizumi jumped back and summoned a wheel of blades; not taking chances, he fired them all, piercing Angel seven times with enough force to throw him upwards in an arc.  
   
 Oikawa summoned his gun, charged, and was about to shoot—  
   
 “Wait!” Iwaizumi put a hand to his rifle.  
   
 Oikawa moved his gun away. He looked at Iwaizumi.  
   
 Angel fell with a crack. His mask shattered; he was a bloody mess, pierced eight times and two huge massive hollows were in his back from where muscle and bone had been ripped out.  
   
   
 He was unmoving.  
   
   
 Oikawa looked at Angel’s body, then to Iwaizumi. “We did it…”  
   
 “Angel,” murmured Iwaizumi, “Defeated.”  
   
 Iwaizumi frowned. “That’s it? That’s all it took?”  
   
 “No wonder he focused so hard on evading us…” Oikawa took a deep breath. “Talk about glass cannon.”  
   
 “A what?”  
   
 “Someone who can pump out a lot of offensive power, but can’t take it.”  
   
 “So like you, with dirty talk?”  
   
 “Hajime, this is hardly the time!” But Oikawa smiled nonetheless, even if he blushed.  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled as well, also blushing, but his eyes moved back to Angel.  
   
 Or rather, Angel’s body.  
   
 Their smiles fell.  
   
 They were cautious as they walked over to the body, but eventually they stood over it.  
   
 The body began to glow, bright, and soon the Angel’s costume disappeared. When it did, all aspects of Light and Dark faded from the body. All of Iwaizumi’s blades disappeared with the outfit, meaning Angel’s crumpled form unfolded into him lying, peacefully, on his back. The white toga was replaced with a white and blue school uniform. The hair colour didn’t change. Though the missing hollows of where wings had been ripped out were gone, his uniform had been stained red from the tissue damage that lasted through the change.  
   
 Oikawa stared, as did Iwaizumi.  
   
 Angel’s eyes were closed, as if he was sleeping, though his body was raked with slashes and garrotes, lacerations, pouring with red, skin turning pale.  
   
 “Call an ambulance,” said Iwaizumi. “Now!”  
   
 “But, but!” Oikawa dropped to his knees. “No, just… God no!” He sobbed, choking, grabbing Angel’s body. “We made sure of it! We made sure this wouldn’t happen! We made sure it wasn’t—”  
   
 Iwaizumi pulled out his phone, dialing.  
   
 “How!?” yelled Oikawa, looking at him. “How the fuck is he—”  
   
 “I don’t fucking know!” Iwaizumi yelled back. “I don’t know!”  
   
  _“I am not my mother,”_ Oikawa had told Akaashi, _“I don’t believe in slaughter. But Angel… When I find out who he is, I’ll be happy and satisfied to ruin him. Maybe to the point of death.”_  
   
 Oikawa wasn’t happy; and, as he cradled the broken body of Sugawara Koushi, he definitely wasn’t satisfied.


	32. Gamble

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to say thank you guys for all your support. Q.Q
> 
> * * *

 Kiyoko was waiting on the sofa when they walked in. She tried to relax; and, to the untrained eye, it looked like she managed… but, her shoulders were a little too raised, hands too firm in her lap, knees too close, lips pursed too tight. She watched them walk in, all three. She looked at each one in turn. First Bokuto, with his grin wild, then Akaashi with a softer smile, and finally to Kenma whose eyes were wide with understanding. Although his subordinates didn’t notice, Kiyoko knew Kenma was no fool. “A lot has happened in your absence.”  
   
 Akaashi’s eyes narrowed. “We would have been informed, since our sentries—”  
   
 Kenma cut him off with a wave of his hand. “Kiyoko, please… tell me everything.”  
   
 And so Kiyoko did; she started at the beginning, with Michimiya leaving the Sector a day earlier, and Angel attacking. She revealed Angel’s identity (and both Bokuto and Akaashi were filled with doubt, but Kenma trusted her completely). She took care with every detail, like stacking folded clothes, making sure the foundation was safe each time before putting another – lest it all toppled over and falls to ruin.  
   
 Kenma crossed his arms. “And Blade and… sorry, Iwaizumi and Oikawa. Are they…?”  
   
 Kiyoko’s eyes narrowed. “Iwaizumi-san is quite… indecisive… I’ve noticed he has gone close to Oikawa’s apartment, several times, but he doesn’t go in… I…” She closed her eyes, shaking her head. She looked at Kenma again, nudging her glasses up. “They are, again, divided.”  
   
 “Gah!” Bokuto yelled. “They’re so hopeless! Why don’t they just meet up and just:” he slapped his hands repeatedly together in an attempt to symbolise something.  
   
 Akaashi rubbed his jaw. “I wonder why Iwaizumi-san is acting the way he is… But we can’t deny that it’s a complicated situation. We also can’t ignore the way Skirt attacked him, before they knew each other’s identity… At that moment, Skirt was every bit his mother. If Iwaizumi-san is afraid of Sectin and uncomfortable with Sectors…”  
   
 “Forget it.” Kenma shook his head. “That’s not our place to hypothesise… we have to face forward.”  
   
 Akaashi eyed him. He nodded.  
   
 Bokuto shook his head. “Bwah! No way!”  
   
 Kiyoko smiled, softly. “You sound like Shouyou.”  
   
 “Who?”  
   
 “Fox.”  
   
 “Hmmm.” Bokuto walked towards the tall floor to ceiling windows of their rented penthouse. He looked outside the window, watching the sun trying to rise beyond the assortment of dark clouds. “This is so dumb… It’s so dumb! They should be figuring this shit out!”  
   
 Kenma frowned. “Koutarou.”  
   
 Bokuto bit his lip, saying nothing. He looked out the window, putting his arm over his head and resting it against the cool glass.  
   
 Kiyoko grabbed the folder in her lap. “I’ve gathered… some new intel.”  
   
 Bokuto pouted, sulking. “I don’t want to hear it.”  
   
 Akaashi walked over and kissed his shoulder. “Come on. It’s important.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 The news had reported the near-fatal car crash that had been the hit and run of Sugawara Koushi. Car crash. Of course that’s what non-Light humans would think of it as. It didn’t fully explain the wounds he got, but it was more than enough. Yamaguchi Tadashi had been in the vicinity, walking home with Sugawara, when it happened. He suffered some minor wounds and the trauma of the situation made his memory fuzzy. That was the story Iwaizumi and Oikawa had created, on the spot. That they witnessed a car crash that hit Suga and grazed Yamaguchi. Sugawara was in critical condition, while Yamaguchi was released after a couple days. The hospital staff didn’t question it once.  
   
 Neither Iwaizumi nor Oikawa were asked for their statement or for any further information.  
   
 What a simple, beautiful, sad little lie.  
   
 Iwaizumi watched as rain poured against the glass. Between Iwaizumi’s seat and the window was Oikawa’s empty chair. It had been three days. Oikawa hadn’t come to class once… not that anyone expected him to. With Oikawa’s bright personality and loud voice (and many, many fans) it wasn’t a surprise to know most of Aoba Johsai knew him, and most knew his best friend was Sugawara. Iwaizumi did his best to keep his notes steady, but even the teachers seemed disturbed by the absence.  
   
 Iwaizumi had tried talking to Daichi a few times, but Daichi seemed completely out of it. When Iwaizumi pressed him, to see if he was okay, Daichi just asked an honest, “What?”  
   
 The anime club had been cancelled that week. Nobody was surprised.  
   
 The volleyball club kept going, but Daichi skipped the first three practices.  
   
 He went back eventually—with tournaments coming up, he wanted something other than Suga on his mind.  
   
 Iwaizumi bit his lip, writing down the math problem on the board. It was easy.  
   
 Matsuwaka and Hanamaki had tried talking to him, but Iwaizumi wasn’t really in the mood. Nobody else talked to him. They whispered, all around him, but nobody spoke to him.  
   
 Iwaizumi looked out the window, but his eyes dipped low to Oikawa’s desk.  
   
 Iwaizumi wanted to see Oikawa… but what would he say? _I’m glad we finally worked together – we did it to kill your best friend!_ Iwaizumi frowned. What the hell was he supposed to do? What was he supposed to say? His mind was running wild. All his thoughts returned to Suga, to Angel. They had made sure they were separate people. They made sure of it. So then, the question begged: How?  
   
 “How?” whispered Iwaizumi.  
   
 When class was over, Iwaizumi packed up his stuff and walked down the hall. When he got down to the first floor, he noticed a second-year looking oddly distant, and pale. “Hey,” he called out. “Yamaguchi-kun.”  
   
 Yamaguchi flinched and looked up. “Y-Yes?”  
   
 “Club’s cancelled today, just to let you know.”  
   
 “O-Oh.” Yamaguchi swallowed hard. “Th-Thanks!”  
   
 “Hey… you okay?”  
   
 “Y-Yeah.” Yamaguchi forced a smile. “I’m just… still not really feeling well… Sorry for worrying you! I’ll be fine! Promise!” He bowed low then quickly turned tail and ran away.  
   
 Iwaizumi’s eyes narrowed.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “What the frick frackle fuck!” Hinata slammed both his hands on the table. “How could Oikawa-senpai not call us for help!?”  
   
 Tsukishima calmly took his mug of green tea and sipped. The three of them were around one of the wider, lower tables in the temple’s living space.  
   
 Hinata growled. “Why isn’t he talking to us!?”  
   
 “Hinata,” Akiteru said in a slow sigh. “His best friend is in the hospital… there’s a chance he might not make it. And of course he thinks it’s his fault… There’s just so much we don’t understand, don’t know…”  
   
 “Exactly!” Hinata’s eyes narrowed, burning. “That means we need to get on top of this as fast as we can!”  
   
 Tsukishima took another sip.  
   
 Akiteru sighed again. “We need to be really sensitive right now… Tooru is a in a really, fragile, state of mind.”  
   
 “I get that,” whined Hinata as he sat back. “But we can’t just give up either!”  
   
 “Hinata, it’s only been a few days… Let Tooru clear his head a bit.”  
   
 “But that won’t do him any good! He can’t just stay home by himself! He doesn’t have Iwaizumi-senpai and now he doesn’t have Sugawara-senpai. So! He’s! What! Going to coop himself up in his room until he feels like coming out?”  
   
 Akiteru bit his lip. “I know what you mean… but, we also can’t really rush the whole… mourning phase, I guess.” He knew Hinata had a point, but—  
   
 “Shouyou,” said Tsukishima, rather softly.  
   
 Hinata blinked and turned to him.  
   
 “Give Oikawa some time. He needs it. You know he needs it. He’ll be useless otherwise.”  
   
 Hinata took a huge gulp of air, “But—”  
   
 “I agree with you though,” Tsuki cut him off, “We can’t sit around and just wait for him to get better. We need to take things into our own hands.”  
   
 Hinata let out the big gulp of air and visibly deflated. He bounced once in his seat. “Yeah?”  
   
 Akiteru frowned. “Kei—”  
   
 “No.” Tsuki cut him off with a glare. “Listen. Shouyou and I have been doing rounds every night; we’re getting better. A lot better. In a month I’ve probably got double, if not triple the strength I had before. Still, there’s a world of difference between us and Oikawa. Iwaizumi and Oikawa are on another level. We’re weighing them down. We have to do things ourselves. For a Sector to be valid it needs a minimum of five members. It needs people who are internally motivated and strong. It needs people who can pull their weight. If we were stronger… maybe none of this would have happened.”  
   
 Akiteru swallowed hard. “You’re right… I know it’s true, but…”  
   
 “But?” Hinata pouted. “But what?”  
   
 “Tooru made a rule, before.” Akiteru smiled. “Nobody goes out alone. I know he broke that rule himself quite a few times, but that doesn’t matter. If any of us go out, it shouldn’t be alone. Angel may be gone, but there’s at least one more.”  
   
 Hinata frowned. “The thunder guy!”  
   
 “And,” Tsuki added, “They have the power to summon the Dark… There could be more. Even at this stage of the game… we know very, very little.”  
   
 “Knowledge is power.” Akiteru nodded. “So we’re kind of screwed, right? We don’t know anything about either the thunder or the monsters. It’s important to keep our heads in this situation.”  
   
 Tsukishima sipped his tea.  
   
 Hinata nodded twice.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Yamaguchi was still at school, in a bathroom stall, by himself. He was choking back his sobs, hiding his tears. He was using toilet paper to dry his eyes. He didn’t want to make a noise, didn’t want to make a sound, didn’t want to be found… but… he couldn’t stop. He was shaking; he felt like throwing up, vomiting. He felt sick and dead. His whole body was screaming, screaming for some kind of penance, some kind of frail understanding. He choked back another noise and put his head in his hands, wondering just what it was he had been doing this whole damn fucking time.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “Aniki…”  
   
 Oikawa had barely stepped into the hospital’s side entrance when Lev came up to him. Oikawa was wearing an oversized hoodie. No, it wasn’t oversized. But Oikawa was always used to wearing tight clothes, so Iwaizumi’s loose grey hoodie felt oversized on him. The hood covered half his hair and it was spotted with black dots from where the rain had made it darker.  
   
 “Aniki,” Lev repeated. His eyes were bloodshot, red, crying.  
   
 Oikawa felt too dead to care. He walked forward, attempting to walk past Lev.  
   
 Lev put a hand on his shoulder.  
   
 “Fuck off!” Oikawa shoved him away. He took a step to the side, staring at his feet. “Leave me alone… you fucking brat…”  
   
 “Aniki.” Lev’s eyes narrowed, but softened. He forced a smile. “Tooru…”  
   
 Oikawa knew he should apologise, but… but… He took a deep breath.  
   
 “They’re not letting anyone see him just yet.”  
   
 Oikawa didn’t show any confirmation that he had heard what Lev said, just kept walking down the hall. He walked and walked, knowing Suga’s room number by heart. He’d read the text Suga’s dad had sent him seventy-six times. Still, he couldn’t bring himself to visit him. Not until today. After all, Oikawa held back a laugh: He was the one who put him in the hospital, wasn’t he? He took another step, turning to the hallway that Suga’s room would be in.  
   
 No visitors allowed.  
   
 White light shimmered around him.  
   
 His hoodie was replaced; he was Skirt.  
   
 He stepped into the room. The doctors didn’t notice him. He didn’t care. Didn’t care. He walked closer to where Sugawara’s unconscious broken form was on the hospital bed. He noticed a stool nearby and pulled it close so he could sit by him. Sugawara was hooked up to several machines, measuring his vitals, keeping him alive, doing more than Oikawa had ever done for him.  
   
 Car accident, hah.  
   
 Oikawa laughed.  
   
  _I had it all,_ Oikawa realised. A best friend who was always there for him, a boyfriend who was loving and warm, friends, family, a community. _I had it all… and I lost everything._  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
  _[Kageyama Tobio, 7:40pm] um i need bf help  
   
 [Hinata Shouyou, 7:48pm] omg im so not in the mood  
   
 [Hinata Shouyou, 7:48pm] wut do u want kags??  
   
 [Kageyama Tobio, 7:50pm] idk tadashs being rly distant n stuff? i think the car crash scared him but idk what 2 do  
   
 [Hinata Shouyou, 7:53pm] oh yea idk… kei says just give him space or smthng  
   
 [Kageyama Tobio, 7:54pm] dont tell tsuki i want his help i dont want his help hes lame  
   
 [Hinata Shouyou, 7:55pm] i told kei u dont want his help and he says thats too bad bc he has the best way to help yamaguchi in the whole world  
   
 [Kageyama Tobio, 7:55pm] DUMBASSS tell him im not falling for that again_  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 In the dark streets Kenma stood on a tall lamppost. The winds were strong today; that was to his advantage. “Are you sure we can find traces, Keiji?”  
   
 Akaashi was on the rooftop of a nearby building. He summoned his weapon—a scythe—and hummed. “I’m certain.” His weapon, obsidian black like Iwaizumi’s swords, glimmered darkly. “I’ll cut us a path, get to the bottom of this… There is something deeply unnatural about Angel and the thunder-elemental Light that managed to wound you.”  
   
 Kenma’s eyes widened. He thought back to his memories. _Kuroo…_ Yes, he had denied it. Like a fool, to make it easier, he denied it. _Could I have prevented this if I had been more honest, more realistic? Would our chances of survival have been greater if I had—_ He shook his head. “Finding traces won’t be easy.”  
   
 “As a darkness-elemental, if I focus, I should be able to still find the traces of the one who controlled thunder. He’s… fresh, to say the least. He’s new. I should be able to track him down, I believe. If I concentrate I’ll be able to find Angel’s ally. That will get us much information if it goes smoothly.”  
   
 Kenma hummed. “I understand, but…”  
   
 “You believe it’s hopeless?”  
   
 Kenma eyed him.  
   
 Akaashi offered a rare smile. “Kiyoko believes I can do it. She seems to have greater insight than even you do in these matters.”  
   
 “I agree.” Kenma crossed his arms.  
   
 “Then I have to at least try.”  
   
 Kenma nodded. “And Koutarou? Where did he go?”  
   
 “I believe my partner is doing his own thing. He told me to trust him. And I did. As I always do.” Purple and blue-black energies whirled around him, making his scythe tremble. “I will focus on what I can do.”  
   
 Kenma frowned. “Keiji, stop. That’s too much.”  
   
 “It’s fine.” Akaashi shook his head. “I can feel it… Angel really was attempting to bring the reversal. Light and Dark… they’re much closer than they should be. Bringing this much darkness around me won’t corrupt me…”  
   
 “I see.” Kenma felt another breeze of wind. “I’ve lost my edge, I believe.”  
   
 “I do not believe I should say this to my superior: But you have. You are too lost in thought, Kozume-san.”  
   
 “The Reversal… under our own noses.” Kenma looked to the sky. “I’ve contacted Sectin… reinforcements will be here in a couple weeks.”  
   
 “That would be too late. Hurry them.”  
   
 “I can’t. I’ve attempted. They don’t believe the reversal can happen so quickly. We don’t have any evidence to prove them otherwise. Angel is unconscious, and even if he wasn’t – his statement isn’t fact.”  
   
 “So. We’re on our own?”  
   
 “Yes. It doesn’t look good… does it? The finale is coming, Keiji.” Kenma kept looking up, wondering where Bokuto went. He thought about Iwaizumi, about Oikawa. “And we’re more divided than ever.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Hinata ran on all fours, leaping high into the air and slashing – fingers held close together for a deep gash. He destroyed the large Dark and landed in a spin. He eyed Tsuki, who destroyed another large one with a sphere of water. They were surrounded, but they weren’t afraid. They could easily do it, together. “Hey, Kei.” Hinata blasted five fire bolts forward, burning the small fry. “You don’t think Suga-senpai was really trying to hurt us, do you?”  
   
 “Hm.” Tsukishima summoned a tidal wave, destroying four medium sized ones. “I don’t know.”  
   
 “Honestly! Kei!”  
   
 “I don’t know him that well,” he admitted.  
   
 “He was kind!” Hinata slashed through a rhinoceros. “And gentle!” He burned a large eagle. “And he didn’t deserve what happened!”  
   
 “Hm.” Tsukishima skipped a step back and swung his staff, summoning six globes of water. When he waved his weapon, they blasted forward, exploding on contact. “What I want to know is why Sugawara-san never attacked Oikawa at school.”  
   
 “Huh?” Hinata paused. Looking over his shoulder, he blinked. “At school?”  
   
 “If Sugawara really wanted to kill Oikawa, or at least harm him, he had more than enough chances, didn’t he?” Tsukishima paused. He backed up and felt Hinata’s smaller frame against him. They were back to back. The monsters surrounded them. “It would have been easy… They lived across from each other. Poison or some other kind of substance would have gotten him out of the way quickly. If you had to ask me: I think Sugawara never wanted to fight, but Angel did.” He looked up and swung his staff; columns of water blasted in every direction, destroying everything around them. “Are we sure they’re the same person?”  
   
 Hinata’s eyebrows knitted together. More dark appeared. He kicked off the ground and spun; his tail uncurled and burned bright—he created a disk of fire that expanded, blazing all the monsters to ash and dust. He landed. “They had the same body at least.”  
   
 “But were they, really, the same person?”  
   
 Hinata frowned. “I don’t know… are you talking like, multiple personalities? Or Schizo… schizo…”  
   
 “Schizophrenia. No. Schizophrenia has nothing to do with multiple personalities. It’s about hearing voices and not realising it’s your brain that’s creating them.”  
   
 “Oh.” Hinata looked down. “What about like, multiple personality disorder?”  
   
 “Multiple personality disorder doesn’t exist. The correct term is dissociative identity disorder.” Tsukishima tilted his head. “But even so… something seems so… off.”  
   
 Hinata frowned. “Nothing fits the bill, huh?”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
  _I had it all,_ Oikawa realised. A best friend who was always there for him, a boyfriend who was loving and warm, friends, family, a community. _I had it all… and I lost everything._  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
  _[Kageyama Tobio, 11:21pm] um hey tadashi its me kageyama  
   
 [Kageyama Tobio, 11:21pm] u probably kno that since u probably added my number by now  
   
 [Kageyama Tobio, 11:22pm] but i just want to say if u need space n stuff thats cool  
   
 [Kageyama Tobio, 11:22pm] but if u wanna talk to some1 im hre  
   
 [Kageyama Tobio, 11:24pm] im not good at…………………. talking stuff bt yeah  
   
 [Kageyama Tobio, 11:27pm] i care about you n stuff so…  
   
 [Kageyama Tobio, 11:29pm] yee_  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “Yo!”  
   
 Iwaizumi jumped, almost dropping the glass of water in his hand. He turned to the man in his kitchen and glared. “It’s one in the morning.”  
   
 Bokuto crossed his arms. “Well you’re not exactly sleeping, are you?”  
   
 Iwaizumi frowned. He put the cup down on the counter behind him. “Who exactly are you?”  
   
 “A friend of Kenma’s!”  
   
 “I know that. Who are you?”  
   
 “Bokuto Koutarou, at your service!” He did a little bow and then a curtsy. “Let me guess: You want to know why I’m here? You’re probably wondering, ‘What does he want?’, well! Heeeey heeey heeyy!” He grinned and made victory signs with his hands, arms stretched outwards. “You’re in luck because I’m about to tell you! I’m here because I want you to stop being such a dumbass and go see Tooru.”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s jaw tightened. He looked around the kitchen for something else to stare at, but his eyes eventually drifted back to Bokuto. “I… can’t.”  
   
 “You’re an idiot, you know that?” Bokuto crossed his arms. “A total idiot.”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s face distorted into a scowl.  
   
 “I’m not saying you don’t have your reasons, kid. In fact, the reason you’re staying away is probably a pretty good one and I’m an idiot because I don’t know what it is. But.” He puffed up his chest. “You’re still an idiot.”  
   
 “Why?” Iwaizumi glared. “Because I don’t want to be a slave to Sectin? To these destroyers who ruin peoples lives? Who support the murder of innocents?”  
   
 “No. You’re dumb because you don’t want to see Tooru. If you like him, he needs someone right now.”  
   
 “But—”  
   
 “No buts!” Bokuto put a finger in the air. “Before you say I don’t know anything, listen up. Kiyoko records all activities going on here. Anything related to the Light and Dark, it’s recorded. Including you two. She’s pretty determined it’s a lost cause, you know? But I don’t think so. I’ve watched you guys a couple times – sorry – and I know you two aren’t as far away as you two are pretending right now. And I know you two care about each other more than you even want to admit to yourselves. Akaashi was convinced Tooru was sleeping with the enemy, y’know? Even Kenma was worried about you, thinking you were a threat.”  
   
 Iwaizumi stared at him. “Get to the point.”  
   
 “The point is.” He cleared his throat. “I don’t know what the point is. I guess I just don’t think you’re as simple minded as you’re acting.” He opened up his hand and a glimmering gold coin appeared. “You know what I think? I think you’re pretty tormented. Maybe as bad as Tooru, maybe worse. You know Tooru has no one, but you don’t want to go see him. You keep saying things like ‘because you don’t want to be Sectin’s dog’ and ‘you don’t support Sectin’ but… let’s face it, it’s not about that at all, is it?”  
   
 Iwaizumi tensed, swallowing hard. His eyes twitched. “Don’t.”  
   
 “I won’t go into it. In fact, I don’t even know it. But life’s a game of luck, and sometimes you gotta take a chance.” He tossed his coin in the air and caught it then pointed at Iwaizumi. “And looks like I hit bingo.”  
   
 Iwaizumi took a step back. “Say what you came here to say and leave.”  
   
 “I came here with an offer actually.”  
   
 “An offer?”  
   
 “It’s simple. It’s gotta be hard for you, isn’t it? To deal with the pain every day, to deal with making the decision every single day, right? The decision to stay away from Tooru. The decision to leave him behind, to protect yourself. The decision to keep that secure little box of hurt locked up inside you. So! What I propose is very simple!” He held the coin up. “Heads, you go back to Tooru; Tails, you stay away forever.”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s eyes widened. “You’re fucking crazy.”  
   
 Bokuto just smiled.  
   
 “You’re telling me my entire future is based on one coin flip?” Iwaizumi glared. “If I go to Tooru now I might never leave him, don’t you get that? If he needs me for a Sector, I can’t walk away!”  
   
 “But.” Bokuto’s smile turned into a grin. “You’ll stop having to make decisions. You’ll stop all the struggling in your head. Some people are strong, Iwaizumi. Some people, like Tooru, can dust themselves off and start walking no matter what storm hits them. But you’re not like that. Most people want to be like that. Most people wish they were like that. Most people think that when shit happens they’ll rise to the occasion, but they never do. Trying to stay strong in violent storms isn’t for everyone, Iwaizumi. Other people might judge you for it, but I won’t. After you watch people die, it’s hard to keep going. It’s hard to pretend everything will be alright… so… let the coin decide. Life is all about chance, all about luck.”  
   
 Iwaizumi looked at the coin, no words left.  
   
 “You look exhausted, kid. You could be free… It’s a huge mental strain, isn’t it? It’s a struggle every single day… You could be free. You’ll just follow the orders, and you’ll never look back. You don’t have to make the choice anymore. You’re the opposite of Tooru: While Tooru makes choices too quickly, you take forever and ever… until you’re completely worn out, and life’s already made the choice for you.”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s eyes began to water. “Stop it…”  
   
 “Heeeeyy heeyy heyyy! You could be free, now!”  
   
 “Heads I go back to him,” whispered Iwaizumi, “Tails I stay away…”  
   
 “But, the decision will be out of your hands.”  
   
 Iwaizumi closed his eyes, unable to watch. “Fine! Do it!”  
   
 “Good.” Bokuto flung his hand up and flipped the coin.  
   
 It hurt, but Iwaizumi opened his eyes, watching the coin brilliant and gold flip over and over again. It was like time slowed down. The result couldn’t come fast enough. The coin was above both of them, twirling, and spinning. Iwaizumi stared in disbelief, realising he had lost it all. _Please,_ he begged in his head, _Please…_ His eyes widened. _Heads!_ his thoughts yelled so loud his brain shackled his skull, _Of course I want it to be heads!_ But he was powerless, and grounded.  
   
 The coin hit its highest point and began to fall.  
   
 “Please!” Iwaizumi yelled at it, “Damnit, please!”  
   
 But, of course, the coin continued to spin.


	33. Iwaizumi Hajime

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: I am someone that gets unnecessarily excited about Leap Year, and leap year day. The thought of updating on Feb. 29th makes me excessively happy. It's still the 29th here, so I didn't miss it! 
> 
> Anyway, this chapter is title "Iwaizumi Hajime". It has two words, just like the Oikawa Tooru chapter. I wonder what that could mean. Idk don't look at me I don't make the rules. But hope you enjoy!
> 
> * * *

 ~ 4 ~  
   
 “Hajime-chan!”  
   
 Iwaizumi was turned away from them, sitting on the floor with a plate of something. He wore his kindergarten uniform, which consisted of a white shirt, blue shorts, and a yellow hat.  
   
 His mom, Iwaizumi Harumi, pulled his father, Jurou, into the room. “He looks so, so, so cute. You have to see this!”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s head perked up and he turned. His mouth was blood red. Dark red dripped from his mouth down to his chin, over the front of his uniform.  
   
 Screaming ensued.  
   
 “Beetroot!” yelled Harumi after six minutes of screaming, “He was just eating beetroot!”  
   
 Iwaizumi blinked once, twice.  
   
 Jurou put a hand to his heart, “Oh God…”  
   
 But after they cleaned him up and gave him another pair of his uniform, both parents sighed proudly. Yep. Their little baby was the cutest. They didn’t even have to be biased to know he was the cutest. Jurou hummed playfully, “Almost as cute as me.”  
   
 Harumi scoffed. “Ten times cuter than you!”  
   
 Jurou burst out laughing, and Iwaizumi did too.  
   
 ~ 5 ~  
   
 In his kindergarten class, Iwaizumi and his classmates sat in a circle, listening to their teacher tell them a story. It was a story about a boy who had no friends. It described what it was like to be lonely and to be disconnected. The kids all listened, intently, focused but they didn’t enjoy it much. It was a strange concept, to be interested in something that didn’t make them smile. Their faces were in distasteful frowns and crestfallen pouts. Halfway through the story, another boy came up to the main character and they started talking. They were happy after that, becoming good friends. In the end it was a story about connection and what it takes to reach out.  
   
 When the teacher closed the book she put it on her lap and looked around the circle. “If you were too scared to talk to people and make friends, wouldn’t you like someone to come up to you?”  
   
 The class chorused yes’s.  
   
 “So, maybe, if you see someone who is by themselves… maybe you should go up to them.”  
   
 A girl raised her hand. “What if he’s a boy and I’m a girl?”  
   
 The teacher just smiled. “Does it matter? Everyone needs someone.”  
   
 ~ 6 ~  
   
 “I!” Iwaizumi said, loudly; he was a quiet child; so, when he raised his voice indoors, it caught his parents’ attention, “I want your tattoo!”  
   
 Harumi blinked once, twice, with a spoon of yogurt in her mouth. She swallowed and put the spoon back in the bowl. She walked across the kitchen, to the connected living room, and squatted down so she was eye to eye with her son. “You want my tattoo?”  
   
 Iwaizumi nodded.  
   
 “You have to wait until you’re older, you know?”  
   
 “Why?”  
   
 “Because your body’s going to grow and you’re going to be as tall as Jurou one day; you don’t want it all stretched and ugly do you?”  
   
 “No! I’ll wait!”  
   
 Harumi looked over her shoulder. She wore an open back dress and the tribal style dragon was inked over her shoulder blade. She turned to Iwaizumi and smiled. “Well, you know I got the tattoo for a reason.” She smiled, seeing how her son’s eyes lit up with insatiable curiosity. “I got this tattoo when I was overseas.” She was an international relief worker, until a minor spinal injury that made standing and walking for hours at a time too difficult. “But when I was overseas there was a man who did beautiful tattoos. I decided why not? I was going to get one. He asked me what I wanted – and I said, ‘anything!’ – He didn’t like that.”  
   
 Iwaizumi tilted his head. “Why?”  
   
 “He believed tattoos should be considered for a long time, you see? They’re not going to fade away anytime soon, so you should be sure about what you want – why – and where you want it. His favourite kind of tattoos to draw were animals, because they are symbols, Hajime-chan! So I thought about what animal I wanted, and I thought about mythology. I wanted something Japanese, I decided, so I went for the great serpent dragon! One of the four, the deity of waters!” She threw her hands in the air in elaborate flourishes, telling the story with her whole body the way Iwaizumi loved and adored. “It means the emperor! It means the hero! So I decided to get the dragon because I was a hero across the waters, but also so I never forgot everything I learned overseas.”  
   
 ~ 7 ~  
   
 Iwaizumi was in second grade, reading books and novels that were a little too advanced for the rest of the class. The books were probably at same reading level as the fourth grade class, but he didn’t show off or make a big deal out of it. He knew when to celebrate, but he also knew when to be modest. While reading his book on animals, he decided what his favourite animal was. He decided – then – that he would call all things he liked by the name of his favourite animal.  
   
 “Iwaizumi-kun,” called the teacher, a short stern man. “What’s that you’re reading there?”  
   
 Iwaizumi looked up and smiled. “It’s a book on animals, Giraffe-sensei.”  
   
 The class went dead quiet.  
   
 The man blinked once, twice. “What?”  
   
 Iwaizumi showed the book. “It’s a book on animals, Giraffe-sensei. It has giraffes and I like giraffes so I’m going to call—” The class burst into laughter. Iwaizumi blinked, looking around him, unsure of what everyone else found funny, but…  
   
 “Iwaizumi-kun!” yelled the teacher, over the students’ laughter, but his next words were silenced by the other students losing it.  
   
 ~ 8 ~  
   
 “Wait!” yelled Harumi from the kitchen. “Neither of you are leaving until you eat breakfast!”  
   
 “But.” Iwaizumi’s spine went straight. “I’m going to be late for school.”  
   
 “You can be late,” Harumi said simply as she poured miso soup into three bowls. “I’ll give you a note, don’t worry.”  
   
 Jurou laughed. “You’re only mean to us because you don’t work today.”  
   
 “Put these on the table,” she ordered. She had also made three omelettes and a pot of green tea. When she sat them all down, she smiled. “Family breakfast is very important. You know, overseas, they sit down and talk for an hour every time they eat? More than we do. For all meals. But other places they don’t even sit!”  
   
 Iwaizumi blinked. “Wow. Do they eat miso soup too?”  
   
 “No, no, that’s mostly just us.”  
   
 Iwaizumi tilted his head. “Most of my friends don’t eat miso soup every morning… I thought you got that overseas.”  
   
 Harumi laughed. “No I just really like it! People with weird habits exist in other places too, though!”  
   
 “In other places…” Jurou pouted. “Do they make their spouses late for work for breakfast?”  
   
 Harumi laughed. “Oh just take the day off. Hajime-chan, do you want to go to school? Or would you prefer if the three of us did something fun together?”  
   
 “Let’s do something fun together!”  
   
 Now Jurou was smiling. “I like this idea too!”  
   
 ~ 9 ~  
   
 It had become a sort of ritual for them to take time off from school and work and spend a whole day together. It wasn’t something they could do super often, but every four to six months it was a nice getaway from routine and suits and books – it was both a calm and a storm. They had gone to the beach on a day Harumi had decided was too sunny, too gorgeous, to stay indoors. Jurou cancelled two meetings right away, while Iwaizumi told himself he would just study a little bit more tomorrow to catch up.  
   
 They were making sand castles. They had made a big one together, but then they decided everyone would make a smaller separate one and the nicest one would be the winner. And the winner would decide what they did next.  
   
 Jurou’s sand castle was perfect; it incorporated the tide into a moat and had multiple layers and side buildings.  
   
 Iwaizumi’s was pretty good; it was advanced for a nine year old, but it was still fairly simple. It was one building with a wall around it.  
   
 Harumi’s, however, was awful.  
   
 Realising she was losing, Harumi pouted and ran over, kicking Jurou’s sand castle and yelling triumphantly as it shattered under her heel.  
   
 “Hey!” Jurou tried to keep her from kicking down her castle, but it was gone in two seconds flat. “I worked hard on that…”  
   
 Iwaizumi laughed.  
   
 Harumi did too, throwing her arms around him. “We’ll make another one!”  
   
 Jurou pouted. “But I liked that one…”  
   
 Harumi sighed, but smiled. She pulled him in for one long, deep kiss, and pulled away. “We’ll make another one. All three of us, together, okay?”  
   
 Jurou smiled. “Okay.”  
   
 Iwaizumi grinned, giggling.  
   
 ~ 10 ~  
   
 “Iwaizumi-kun?” asked one of his classmates. She was a shy girl who sat across him. Their desks were arranged in pods of six for the day. She frowned and pointed to one of the question. “You’re really good, right? How do I do the last one?”  
   
 Iwaizumi, who had finished five or so minutes ago, looked back at his notes. He explain the problem, finding mathematics fairly easy. It always boggled him at first, but he sat down and tried and tried and eventually it made perfect sense.  
   
 Everyone liked him, really.  
   
 Iwaizumi was calm and smart, funny and a little quirky. Truth was, Iwaizumi Hajime was friends with everyone.  
   
 ~ 11 ~  
   
 Iwaizumi was walking home from practice with his parents. Usually he walked home alone, but they surprised him and decided they should go out for milkshakes or something. Unlike other eleven year olds who were trying to distance themselves from their embarrassing parents, Iwaizumi had no problem holding his mom’s hand as they walked all together. They were walking by a high school in the area and Iwaizumi glanced at the students. He didn’t know why they were staying late, but he watched them.  
   
 Their uniforms were pink and red.  
   
 Iwaizumi tilted his head. He realised, next year, he’d be going to middle school, and he’d have a different uniform. It was odd since – for elementary – he had been wearing the same thing for a long time. “Funny colours,” he murmured.  
   
 Jurou laughed. “I’m sure it makes the girls cute, though.”  
   
 Harumi laughed as well. “The boys look cute too in those colours.”  
   
 Iwaizumi blinked and looked up at her.  
   
 Harumi smiled. “Do you think the girls are cute?”  
   
 Iwaizumi shrugged. “I don’t know.”  
   
 Jurou scratched his nose. “Do you think the boys are cute?”  
   
 Iwaizumi glanced back to some of the male students. “Probably.” When Harumi snorted and Jurou giggled (yes, he actually _giggled_ ), Iwaizumi looked back up at them. “Huh?”  
   
 “Nothing,” assured Harumi. “We love you, Hajime.”  
   
 ~ 12 ~  
   
 Then came camp.  
   
 Iwaizumi was in the lineup for lunch at the cafeteria. It was their first day. Everyone was really loud, but also really nice. Iwaizumi figured he’d like it here. His parents had sent him here because they were busy taking care of ill grandparents on his mom’s side. All he knew about them was that they drank a lot of tea and neither of his parents liked them much. When Iwaizumi had his tray full of food, he looked around the cafeteria-like room and saw a boy sitting alone. He decided to put his tray across the boy and take a seat. “Hi.”  
   
 The boy jumped. “H-Hi!”  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled. “I’m Iwaizumi Hajime.”  
   
 “O-Oikawa Tara—Tooru. I mean, Tooru.”  
   
 “You don’t know your own name?”  
   
 The boy’s eyes were wide. “No.”  
   
 Iwaizumi fought back the urge to laugh. “That’s a nice name.”  
   
 Oikawa’s lips wiggled into a quarter of a smile. “Th-Thanks.”  
   
 “Why are you sitting alone?”  
   
 Oikawa looked at the other tables, full of loud, rowdy kids. “I’m scared.”  
   
 “Of who?”  
   
 “Boys…”  
   
 “But you’re a boy.”  
   
 “Yes I am!” Oikawa jumped. “I just, um…”  
   
 “That’s okay.” Iwaizumi broke apart his wooden chopsticks and stirred his noodle soup. “My dad’s scared of other boys too. He’s not a manly man either.”  
   
 Oikawa’s smile grew, just a little more, and for a moment Iwaizumi couldn’t look away.  
   
   
 They spent more than just lunch together. They were introduced to their cabins and they found themselves in the same one. They were told to set up their futons because they would be out all day and would want to go right to bed when they came back. So they took the space next to each other. Oikawa sat cross-legged and awkwardly fumbled his hands together, looking down as if to avoid eye contact.  
   
 Iwaizumi sat next to him. “Where are you from?”  
   
 “T-Tokyo.” Oikawa looked up. “You?”  
   
 “Osaka.”  
   
 “Cool!”  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled. “So why did you come to the camp?”  
   
 “To be…” Oikawa didn’t know what to say so he settled for: “Me.”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s eyes widened. “Cool.” It sounded cool. He didn’t know what it meant.  
   
 Oikawa smiled again, small and shy.  
   
   
 They had gone out on their first day, showing them around the camp and all the different things they would do. Iwaizumi learned Oikawa could barely say a word near other people. Occasionally Oikawa would whisper a question he had to Iwaizumi and Iwaizumi would ask it. Oikawa seemed to relax right away after that. It was strange. The day was exhausting, though. At dinner they sat together and made small talk. They didn’t really have a meaningful conversation until night time.  
   
 New place, new sights, new sounds… his brain was tired, but he was awake.  
   
 Iwaizumi glanced over and faced Oikawa. It was a light whisper, “Are you asleep?”  
   
 Same softness, “No. Can’t sleep…”  
   
 Another silence, a pause.  
   
 Iwaizumi blinked. “Tell me about your family.”  
   
 “Well my mom’s…” Oikawa frowned. “It’s just me and her,” he said softly.  
   
 “Yeah?”  
   
 “We used to spend a lot more time together and stuff… but now she works more.”  
   
 “My parents are like that too,” explained Iwaizumi, “But we try to all take a day off together every few months.”  
   
 Oikawa smiled. “That sounds nice.”  
   
 “It is, but it’s only one day every four or five months… I always gotta entertain myself now, when I’m not studying.”  
   
 “Do you have lots of friends, Iwaizumi-kun?”  
   
 “Hmmm…” Iwaizumi thought about it. “I guess, maybe. Everyone at school likes me, but I don’t really go to anyone’s house and nobody comes to my house on the weekends. What about you?”  
   
 “I’m kind of the same… but maybe not everyone at school likes me… Not many people do, I guess.”  
   
 Iwaizumi frowned. “Are you alone a lot?”  
   
 “Yeah, but that’s not a bad thing… it’s important to know how to… be alone, you know? That’s what my mom said. People who don’t know how to self-soothe are…”  
   
 Iwaizumi hummed. He waited for more, but nothing came. “What kind of shows do you watch?”  
   
 “I spend most of my time watching anime.”  
   
 “Yeah?” Iwaizumi’s voice perked up more than it should have. “What do you watch?”  
   
   
 They devolved from there. They had breakfast together, talking about their favourite shows and characters, and they spend all of the camp activities together. Whenever they needed to partner up, without a doubt, they always chose each other. Days passed, Oikawa was becoming more comfortable, and Iwaizumi found himself oddly attracted to him. It was like Oikawa was this… treasure chest, this locked person, and Iwaizumi had only seen glimpses of who was really inside. But every time he did get a clue as to what Oikawa’s real personality was, he found it to be exciting and fascinating and it filled him with strange warm feelings.  
   
 On a hiking trick, Oikawa whined loud: “I’m so tired!”  
   
 “Come on.” Iwaizumi took a deep breath. He turned around and offered his hand. “Take it. I’ll help you.”  
   
 Oikawa blinked. “Aren’t we too old to hold hands?”  
   
 Iwaizumi blinked. “So?”  
   
 Oikawa’s small shy smile surfaced again. He took Iwaizumi’s hands, fingers intertwining, clasping each other. Iwaizumi saw Oikawa’s cheeks burn, and Iwaizumi’s did too, but it felt right. It felt good. Oikawa, at times, looked at him with such admiration when he didn’t care about what people thought. It was strange, but Iwaizumi liked it when Oikawa thought he was great, so…  
   
   
 A few days later, back at their cabin, people had bathed and were getting ready for bed. Oikawa always bathed before the others, for some reason. Some people brought up that it was unfair, but that went nowhere. While Iwaizumi was waiting his turn, Oikawa sat next to him, close enough that their arms were touching. He smelled of flowers and vanilla, sweet things that boys didn’t often smell like, and his skin was flushed from the heat of the baths. He wore a loose pair of boxers and a t-shirt because it was a hotter night, and his skin looked so smooth.  
   
 It was weird.  
   
 Iwaizumi didn’t usually notice those things before.  
   
 Oikawa had sat next to him with something in his hands. “I like to draw,” he admitted. That was also weird. Before, Iwaizumi had to ask him things, but now Oikawa would tell him without a question. Iwaizumi slowly realised that was his favourite thing. Oikawa showed him his sketchbook. “I’m not super good but…”  
   
 “Wow,” Iwaizumi said honestly. “Those are _super_ good.”  
   
 “No they’re not.”  
   
 “They’re a lot better than I can do.”  
   
 Oikawa laughed, light and warm, as if his lungs were filled with angel songs and fluffy clouds.  
   
   
 One night when Oikawa couldn’t sleep, he moved closer to Iwaizumi. They were barely touching, but Iwaizumi moved a little closer to Oikawa. When Oikawa reached out, for his hand, Iwaizumi let him take it, let him intertwine their fingers. It felt warm and safe; it felt like home.  
   
   
 And then came the sobbing. Oikawa Tooru was, as Iwaizumi had learned, an ugly crier. “I’m g-g-g-going t-to m-miss you, Iwa-chan!”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s eyes widened. His face flushed red hot. “What did you just say?”  
   
 Oikawa wiped his eyes and blinked. “Iwa-chan.” He smiled, shyly. “I thought… I should have a special nickname, that no one else can say… So I want to call you Iwa-chan! Can I call you that? Iwa-chan?”  
   
 Iwaizumi swallowed hard, blushing brighter than the sun itself. “Only if I can call you Tooru.”  
   
 Oikawa blinked once, twice. His face burned in equal heat, and he smiled. A full smile. His smile turned to a grin and it was wider than it had been in years. Oikawa did his best not to smile, never let himself smile, but he couldn’t stop himself now. Iwaizumi realised it was him, himself, who did that to Oikawa. He felt a spur of warms and butterflies like nothing he’d ever felt before. It was Oikawa’s first smile, and he was in way too deep.  
   
 ~ 13 ~  
   
 A year had come and gone, and Iwaizumi was doing his best to contain his excitement. When he got to the camp, he was impatient and rushing; it was so against his usual calm that his parents didn’t fully understand.  
   
 That was, of course, until…  
   
 “Iwa-chan!”  
   
 Iwaizumi turned just in time to catch the flying tackle hug that was Oikawa. Iwaizumi squeezed him tight. “Tooru!” Oikawa laughed and giggled, nuzzling into Iwaizumi, and Iwaizumi squeezed him as hard as he could, nuzzling in return.  
   
 Eventually Oikawa pulled away. “You’re here!” He grinned. “We’re in the same cabin again this year!”  
   
 “We are?” Iwaizumi asked, pretending he didn’t ask his mom to call in advance and make sure they were together. “That’s great!”  
   
 Oikawa nodded twice. “I saved you a spot next to mine! They have designated bedrolls this year, because people kept moving, but I made sure nobody took the one next to me!”  
   
   
 And camp began again. It was like the three hundred and sixty five days that they hadn’t seen each other didn’t exist. They just _clicked_ back in place, falling into their usual rhythm. Oikawa was more open, and Iwaizumi too, but Oikawa was still afraid of the other boys. Iwaizumi hummed. On a hiking trip he looked at Oikawa and said, “You should talk to more of the other boys.”  
   
 Oikawa blinked. “Am I annoying?”  
   
 “No!” Iwaizumi frowned. “Don’t say that. Just… don’t you want more friends?”  
   
 Oikawa looked at how they were holding hands, then back to Iwaizumi. “No.”  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled and pulled Oikawa along. “Me neither… but we should try to talk to other people too. We’ve got to make group of fours next activity.”  
   
 “Fine.” Oikawa pouted. “But they should know that I’m more partner with you than I am with them!”  
   
 Iwaizumi laughed. “We have to play nice.”  
   
 “Iwa-chan’s my Iwa-chan. Nobody else’s.”  
   
 Iwaizumi blushed. “Shut up,” he murmured, and pulled a smiling Oikawa along.  
   
   
 “I drew my first manga,” Oikawa said as he leaned against Iwaizumi. They had both recently bathed (Oikawa going first, then Iwaizumi and some other boys). There was that sense of clean and warm and relaxed. Iwaizumi realised, only then, that Oikawa’s smell was roses. He smelled like roses. A boy who smelled like roses. It was such a strange concept, but it was nice. Oikawa nudged him. “I said I drew a manga.”  
   
 “A manga?” Iwaizumi blinked. “Can I see?”  
   
 Oikawa nodded. “It’s not done yet but.” He opened up his sketchbook.  
   
 Iwaizumi’s eyes widened. “It’s about aliens?”  
   
 “Yeah!” Oikawa blushed. “I was… thinking of finishing it and maybe giving it to you… so you can remember me, until next year.”  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled. “I don’t need anything to help me remember you. You’re too cool to forget… but I would like some of your drawings – if that’s okay with you.”  
   
 Oikawa grinned.  
   
   
 “Hmmmmmmm, you know,” said one of the councillors in a teasing voice (she was everyone’s favourite), “Oikawa-kun and Iwaizumi-kun are always together, just like twins. Maybe we should separate you guys!”  
   
 Oikawa gasped, loud, and clutched onto Iwaizumi. “No!”  
   
 Iwaizumi knew she didn’t mean it, but he smiled. “Not happening.”  
   
 Oikawa relaxed.  
   
 The councillor hummed, pretending to think about it.  
   
 “I’m—” Oikawa yelled, sharply, getting everyone’s attention, “—I’m going to marry Iwa-chan!”  
   
 Iwaizumi blinked; a streak of red flushed from one cheek to the other.  
   
 The councillor put her hands on her hips. “I hope I’ll be invited.”  
   
 Iwaizumi nodded. “Of course.”  
   
   
 A few nights later, Oikawa shivered in his sleep. Iwaizumi’s eyes opened slowly. He noticed shaking and he blinked. “Tooru?”  
   
 Oikawa jolted silently, then looked over his shoulder.  
   
 “Do you want to sneak in here?”  
   
 Oikawa got out of his futon in a flash and slipped under the covers next to Iwaizumi. He pressed himself completely against Iwaizumi, and Iwaizumi wrapped his arms around him, pulling him close and nuzzling. Oikawa was cold, oddly enough, and Iwaizumi had no problem warming him up. Iwaizumi looked at him. “What’s wrong?”  
   
 Oikawa swallowed hard. “Iwa-chan… I’m… I’m a boy, you know?”  
   
 “Yeah.”  
   
 “But I kind of have… a girl’s body.”  
   
 Iwaizumi frowned. “What?”  
   
 Oikawa nuzzled his chest. “Do you think you’ll be my friend, no matter what?”  
   
 “Yeah. For sure.”  
   
 “Good.” Oikawa sighed. “Because I was… born a girl, but… I’m a boy.”  
   
 “Oh.” Iwaizumi hugged him closer. “That’s kinda weird. But cool.”  
   
 Oikawa laughed, just a little, and Iwaizumi figured what he said was kind of okay maybe.  
   
   
 It was on the last day of camp that they were completely inseparable. Oikawa had given Iwaizumi some of his drawings and they had spent the whole day side by side. It wasn’t until Oikawa’s name was called, that his mother was here to pick him up, that it really dawned on them that this was it – another year without each other. Another year, alone, and waiting. Oikawa started crying, quiet sobs, and Iwaizumi pulled him into an empty room so nobody would be around.  
   
 “I-Iwa-chan.” Oikawa looked up. “Hajime…”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s face flushed, throat too tight for words.  
   
 In the background teenagers were yelling and parents were talking and birds were chirping and there was so much noise. In a moment though, it all ceased.  
   
 Oikawa pressed their lips together. Iwaizumi’s eyes widened, but they snapped shut. The world drowned out, disappeared, faded to nothingness. All that was left was Iwaizumi feeling Oikawa in his arms, and lips against lips. They were inexperienced, virginal, not knowing what or how, but they kissed slowly. They pressed against each other, feet to feet, knees to knees, hips to hips, chests to chests, and of course lips to lips. It was almost like they blended into one person, knowing only the quiet, warm, wet feeling of each other.  
   
 Oikawa broke away, slowly, eyes fluttering open.  
   
 Iwaizumi stared at him. He saw Oikawa blushing and he knew, without a doubt, he was also blushing.  
   
 “Thank you, Hajime.”  
   
 Iwaizumi felt his heart beat like war drums. He leaned in, kissing Oikawa again. It was shorter, but he didn’t know how to use words to express himself so he replied with actions – hot and fast. He broke away and looked at him. Their hands clasped together.  
   
 ~ 14 ~  
   
 Of all places to wake up, Iwaizumi woke up in a hospital. He woke up staring at the ceiling, with vague memories of some kind of accident. The doctors told him the bad news, that his mother died in a car crash, and that he had been wounded quite badly. They told him not to move because of a scar on his back. They talked about how the driver who hit their car drove away. Iwaizumi told them they’re wrong. There was a silence in the room. Iwaizumi repeated it: “You’re wrong.” They looked at him with pity, thinking it was some kind of falsified memory, or some kind of denial. They were kind to him, but they knew their truth. They knew their version of the story and they chose not to listen to his.  
   
 ~ 15 ~  
   
 “Tooru-chan!” yelled Iwaizumi in their kitchen, throwing his arms around wildly, making a scene. The eternal calm, Iwaizumi Hajime, had finally snapped, finally lost it. “I want to see Tooru-chan!”  
   
 Jurou stared at him, rubbing his jaw. “Hajime,” he tries to reason, “It’s too far… I could send you with an airplane, but who would pick you up? How would you get to the camp and back? I’m sorry… I know you want to go, but… I can’t.”  
   
 “But I’m fifteen,” he yelled. He put both his hands against his chest. “I’m fifteen—this is the last year I can go! I want to see Tooru! I couldn’t go last year because mom—” And silence. It hit them both, again, that Iwaizumi Harumi was dead. It hit them both, again, that Iwaizumi Harumi would never smile or laugh or do anything again. “Why can’t I have anything?” Iwaizumi asked in a voice that was so different than his usual one, “Why can’t I have mom?” The question broke Jurou’s heart, but Jurou’s lack of answer broke Iwaizumi’s. “Why can’t I have Tooru?”  
   
 Jurou stared.  
   
 “You don’t care!” Iwaizumi yelled; still, he was still yelling, “You don’t care!” He knew it was wrong, but he was angry. He was angry and he wanted to act out. “You don’t fucking care about anything! I bet you’re happy I’m not going, I bet you’re fucking happy mom’s gone, just so you can make my life hell I bet—”  
   
 But Iwaizumi stopped.  
   
 There were tears in Jurou’s eyes.  
   
 Iwaizumi once heard that people regret things they didn’t do more than things they did; at that moment, he wasn’t so sure.  
   
 Jurou turned away, slowly, and left the room.  
   
 ~ 16 ~  
   
 The ridge Iwaizumi had slashed between him and his father had never healed. It wasn’t like Iwaizumi to be a hot head, to yell and kick and scream, and he knew his father knew that. Iwaizumi cooled down. They had tried to move on, but it was hard. With Jurou’s promotion needing them to move from one city to another, from one house to another, Iwaizumi forgot what the word ‘Home’ was supposed to mean, and what it was supposed to feel like. He gave up on making friends, gave up on lasting connections.  
   
 Iwaizumi gave up on a lot of what used to define him.  
   
 He fell into depression. It was darker and deeper than anything he’d ever felt. It made him feel void and null; it was empty and hollow. It really had nothing to do with sadness. Hell, Iwaizumi would have preferred sadness to this distance from his own self.  
   
 His father began attempts to bridge the river between them, but it didn’t work well.  
   
 Iwaizumi pushed away.  
   
 It was one night, when he was walking home late, that he felt the mark on his back burn. He screamed, reaching out for people passing by, but they couldn’t see him. They couldn’t hear him. He screamed and screamed. He wondered if it was a dream, but it was deeper, thicker, too real for a dream. He panicked, and sunk into darkness. It suffocated him, wrapped around him, creating a shell, a suit. And, at once, he heard a voice say:  
   
  _Blade._  
   
 When Iwaizumi lifted his head, he saw a new world. He saw monsters and creatures. They lunged at him, an attempt to kill.  
   
 But in came a spinning blade, and a roar, and they were slashed to shreds.  
   
 That blade was put away and what stood in front of him was… a samurai?  
   
 Iwaizumi backed up against a wall, staring at the man.  
   
 “Ah.” The voice was rather smooth. The man turned to him. His skin was grey, as if paled to the point of death. “So you changed.”  
   
 “Who are you? What’s…?” Iwaizumi looked around. “What the fuck is going on?”  
   
 “Name’s Kuroo Tetsuro,” the man said simply. He did an exotic bow. “Pleasure to meet you.”  
   
 Iwaizumi stared at him for a long time.  
   
 Kuroo rubbed his neck. “I guess I should probably explain all this… Normal humans can’t see us when we’re like this, so don’t worry about them. Would you believe me if I said there’s another world out here? That there’s more than your eyes can see, kid?”  
   
 Iwaizumi glanced around to the monsters that seemed to keep their distance from Kuroo.  
   
 “It’s a power.” Kuroo smiled. “But watch out for those Sectin guys. Let me tell you what they don’t want you to know…”  
   
   
 Later that week when Iwaizumi was approached to see if he wanted to join the Sector, he said no. He wasn’t interested. He learned to fight by himself, refusing the help of Kuroo even. It felt good, felt damn good. The exercise was a way to blow off steam and he found he liked his body more when it was in shape. But what Kuroo told him haunted him, for days, weeks, months, and more. He would never forget it: No matter what, he’d never forget it. He assumed Kuroo would contact him again, as he always did, but when Jurou had to move, again, Kuroo had lost track of him, and Iwaizumi had forgotten the man’s name – but never his face. And never the fact that he looked like he was a corpse.  
   
 ~ 17 ~  
   
 Students filtered into their new homeroom, and eventually the door opened once more. The talking quieted down when they realised their teacher, Ittetsu Takeda, walked in with another student who was taller than him. They spoke quietly for a moment before the student began writing the kanji of his name on the board.  
   
 “Alright.” Ittetsu smiled. “I’ve actually had all of you in my homeroom class before, so that’ll make attendance easy.” His eyes darted from student to paper as he checked the boxes. “But we have a new student this year.” He put his pen and paper down and turned. “Please welcome him.” He bowed about four times.  
   
 The student felt uncomfortable and rubbed his neck as he looked away. “I’m Iwaizumi Hajime… I look forward to the school year with all of you.” He gave a little bow and looked at the teacher.  
   
 Ittetsu smiled. “Feel free to take any seat.”  
   
 Iwaizumi was about to go for one of the desks at the front but—  
   
 “Iwa-chan!” Oikawa threw a hand in the air, waving excessively as if they were across a rock concert. “Iwa-chan! Here! Here!” Oikawa then proceeded to smack the empty desk next to him about four times.  
    
 Besides the banging, the classroom was quiet.  
    
 Iwaizumi’s eyes widened for a moment and his lips barely parted as he spoke, “To-Tooru?”  
   
 “Huh?” Oikawa gasped. “Totooru? That’s such a cute nickname!”  
   
 When Iwaizumi said nothing, Ittetsu coughed. “Do you know each other?”  
   
 Iwaizumi blinked. “Um… Yes. Kind of.”  
   
 “You don’t have to sit next to him, just to let you know.”  
   
 Oikawa continued to smack the desk.  
   
 “Um.” Iwaizumi swallowed. “It’s fine.” He adjusted the shoulder strap of his bag and awkwardly shuffled between the rows to take his seat next to Oikawa, who was smiling from ear to ear. As bewildered as he was, he couldn’t help but notice that smile wasn’t just cute, it was infectious. He did his best to keep a straight face, but the corners of his lips kept tugging up all through the class.  
   
   
  _“Iwaizumi-kun.”_  
   
   
 Oikawa Tooru was one of those possibly lucky possibly unlucky people who had really cute bed hair. His hair was a big mess. It looked like a mop, with some of it going fwoosh one way, and some of it going fwoosh another way; and, yet, magically, it seemed to always be the same every morning. Funny how that worked. Nonetheless, his hair kind of looked like a mop – especially when he just woke up. That’s when bedhead was at its peak. Before he went to school, he could easily comb it into the right direction so it was a very orderly mop, but right now it was not orderly – it was a messed up mop.  
    
 He wore light blue peejays with stars and rocket ships and space ships and other fun little twinkles on them, despite being a seventeen year old male.  
   
 Microwave-reheated soba noodles, hanging from his mouth.  
   
 Oikawa Tooru stared, with his mouth full, cheeks puffed up, across the table.  
   
 Iwaizumi stared back at him, with a big smile.  
   
 Oikawa tried to reply. Albeit, he did so while forgetting he had food in his mouth, so he choked, quite loud, and grabbed his throat. He chewed quickly, then swallowed.  
   
 Iwaizumi poured him a glass of water. “Here.”  
   
 Oikawa drank it in one go, slamming the cup down on the island kitchen counter. He stared at Iwaizumi for a long minute, then tilted his head. “What?”  
   
 “I love you,” Iwaizumi said; the feeling, warm, pouring, growing, made him laugh. “I said I love you,” and there he added a nickname.  
   
 “Oh.” Oikawa’s cheeks reddened and his lips wiggled together in a shy little smile. “Really?”  
   
 “Yeah.” Iwaizumi smiled as well. “Holy shit, yeah.”  
   
 Oikawa grinned. “Really?”  
   
 “Yeah.”  
   
 Oikawa bolted out of his chair and ran around the island counter. He grabbed Iwaizumi’s shoulders. “Like, actually really?”  
   
 Iwaizumi chuckled and leaned in, kissing him.  
   
 Oikawa kissed back, hearing angel fucking choirs in his ears. When he pulled away, he kept his eyes closed. “I love you too.”  
   
 Iwaizumi fumbled his hands together. “Yeah?”  
   
 “Really!” Oikawa laughed, kissing him again. “Holy shit, yes! Yes, I do!”  
   
 After another kiss, Iwaizumi moved his head to the side. “Stop, you taste like soba. It’s gross.”  
   
 “No, I taste delicious! One more, please?”  
   
 Iwaizumi couldn’t help himself; he grabbed Oikawa’s face and brought their lips together.  
   
 Oikawa kissed back, closing his eyes and pouring his heart into it. When they pulled away he couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh my God, Hajime, I love you.”  
   
 “Yeah, you told me.”  
   
 “I know, but, but.” Oikawa pouted. “I love you. And you…” He hugged Iwaizumi tight, nuzzling his neck. When he felt Iwaizumi’s big arms around him he smiled. “And you like me… you actually like me.”  
   
 “I love you,” he corrected.  
   
 “It’s real.” Oikawa nuzzled his neck.  
   
 Iwaizumi blinked. “Real?”  
   
 “I just, it’s real… Our relationship is real… You know? You’re not… using me, or faking it, not making some big joke out of me…”  
   
 Iwaizumi probably would have been offended, but he knew it was Oikawa. With all that insecurity and creativity, he didn’t dare ask what other scenarios Oikawa’s beautiful awful mind came up with. So he did what he thought was best: He hugged Oikawa tight. He kissed the side of his head. “Never. Not you, never you.”  
   
 “Ugh.” Oikawa shuddered, pulling away. “I feel so, ugh, disgusting, for worrying about something like th—”  
   
 “It’s not your fault.”  
   
 “But—”  
   
 “Sh. You can’t control it.”  
   
 “Hajime.”  
   
 “Finish your soba, dumbass.”  
   
 Oikawa stared at him for a long time. He kissed him quickly then hugged him again. “Just one more minute.”  
   
 “We can cuddle after, I promise. I’m not going anywhere tonight, and we’re actually on top of our homework for once. I legit have nothing to do but pay attention to you, so just go eat your soba. After, I promise.”  
    
 Oikawa pulled away and nodded.  
   
 They began eating again, Oikawa sitting next to Iwaizumi instead of across.  
   
 “I’m kind of relieved,” said Iwaizumi.  
    
 Oikawa blinked. “Relieved?”  
    
 “I’ve been wanting to say it, for a while. A long while. I just, wanted to make sure. I loved you, you know, back then…”  
    
 “You mean, summer camp?”  
    
 Iwaizumi nodded.  
   
 Oikawa laughed, pretending his cheeks weren’t bright red. “Love’s a pretty strong word for twelve year olds.”  
    
 “I know, but I loved you.” He poked his noodles with his wooden chopsticks. “I know I did.”  
    
 Oikawa smiled, attention wholly on Iwaizumi, away from his food. “Yeah?”  
    
 “Yeah… And when I saw you again, holy shit, Tooru, it just… It all came back. It hit me. Right in the face. I just, all those feelings… And I told myself, that, I don’t know, maybe you could be different… maybe you changed, maybe I changed, maybe it wouldn’t… it wouldn’t, couldn’t work out. You know? I wanted to make sure I was falling in love with you, the real you, not the idea of you, not just falling in love with the fact that you came back in my life. But you.”  
   
 Oikawa listened, not daring to say another word not now.  
   
 “But then I realised… It’s just. All the reasons I really, honestly loved about you, every little thing about you… Your shy smile, the one you make when you don’t have ulterior motives – and don’t say it, you do often enough – and your quick mind, and your quicker mouth. Your sense of humour. The way you get so… passionate about things, like the world itself has a heart and it’s beating and you can feel it… Like there’s something other people can’t see, but you see it and you want to share it, and how when I’m with you the world has so many more colours, and just… Every reason I loved you for was still there, still a part of you. I still love all those things about you.”  
   
 Oikawa grinned. “Tooru’s the same Tooru!”  
   
 “No.” Iwaizumi shook his head. “You changed a lot too.”  
   
 Oikawa’s grin faded. His shoulders tightened.  
   
 “You’re not as shy. You’ve… completely embraced yourself. You’re so, so different.”  
   
 Oikawa tilted his head. “And what was that like?”  
   
 “It was, well… It was, well, is, it’s… fun.” Iwaizumi looked at him. “I got the chance to fall in love with you all over again, for different reasons.”  
   
 Oikawa’s cheeks warmed, and he looked away. “Iwa-chan… I think—”  
   
 “Tooru I love you but you’re about to ruin the moment, so don’t say anything. Not a damn word.”  
   
 Oikawa snorted, and then pouted, pretending to be mad as he furrowed his brows. “I was gonna start saying super nice things about you too!”  
   
 “Nah, I’ll pass.”  
   
 “Huh? Then why give all those compliments to me?”  
   
 “Because you second guess yourself, I guess.” Iwaizumi shrugged. “Anyone can say ‘I love you’, but nobody can bullshit concrete reasons.”  
   
 “I think lots of people can do that…”  
   
 “Maybe,” he agreed. “But I can’t.”  
   
 “No.” Oikawa smiled. “You really can’t.”  
   
 Iwaizumi laughed.  
   
 Oikawa wiggled his feet which dangled from the bar stools. “So, you said nice things because I’m self-conscious… Is that a compliment, Iwa-chan?”  
   
 “Tooru.” Iwaizumi leaned over, kissing his cheeks. “I said nice things because you’re the type of person who enjoys hearing them. And if that’s a way to make you happy, and I sure as fuck want to make you happy, so…”  
   
 “I really do, utterly love you, Hajime.” Oikawa had a gleam in his eye. “Wanna know why?”  
   
 “No.”  
   
 “It’s a very good reason!”  
   
 “I’m going to regret this. Why?”  
   
 “Because.” Oikawa held up a finger. “Iwa-chan is dumb!”  
   
 Iwaizumi had a hint of anger when he asked, “Huh!?”  
   
 Oikawa chuckled, but it sounded more like a giggle. “Because of how honest you are, and straightforward.” That finger sticking up in the air did a little wag. “No ulterior motives, ever – really my opposite, here.”  
   
 Iwaizumi snorted.  
   
 “But, you’re honest… maybe to a fault.” Oikawa put his hands in his lap. “You’ve got a good sense of, just, you… and of right and wrong, and you’re not afraid to call me out on my shit.”  
   
 “Is that a big one?”  
   
 Oikawa’s smile became strained. “The biggest one.”  
   
 Iwaizumi bit his lip.  
   
 “I’m sure you know, Iwa-chan… Well, I don’t know. No point beating around the bush, especially since I shave. I have some, self-destructive tendencies. Sometimes my biggest enemy is really, just… me.” His feet stopped dangling, pressing together and staying still. “But I feel safe when I’m with you.” He lowered his head, looking away. “Like…”  
   
 “Like I’ll catch you?”  
   
 “Nah, well… maybe more like… Maybe more like, if you try to catch me, I doubt you’ll reach me in time. I doubt anyone can. You’re more like, um… I guess if I went, and lost myself somehow, lost my way… you’d come, and find me, and bring me home. You’d pick me up, dust me off, and get me walking again…” Oikawa bit his lip. He gave a meek little shrug. “I don’t know… maybe that’s dumb.”  
    
 “Maybe,” said Iwaizumi, very softly, before he placed a kiss Oikawa’s cheek.  
   
 Oikawa blushed and then pouted. “You got sauce on my face, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “Think of it as soba perfume.”  
   
 “Ooo, kiss me more.”  
   
 “That’s disgusting.” Iwaizumi laughed. He grabbed a tissue and wiped Oikawa’s cheek.  
   
 Oikawa kissed him. “I love you.”  
   
 “I love you too.”  
   
   
  _“Iwa-chan.”_  
   
   
 The coin landed in Bokuto’s hand.  
   
 Iwaizumi eyed him, both the thrill of release and the fear of imprisonment coursed through him. Thoughts about spending every day with Oikawa, and thoughts of being able to do whatever he wanted… He was haunted by possibility, of two paths, diverging through him, like the black ink on his back, his dragon tattoo, seared to his skin, covering the scar, and never to leave. He stared at Bokuto for a full minute. “What is it? Heads or tails?”  
   
 Bokuto laughed and clasped his fingers around the coin, hiding it behind him. “It doesn’t really matter though, does it?”  
   
 “Tell me!” And it returned, the hot flash, the snap, the loss of self and plunge of anger: Iwaizumi grabbed Bokuto’s shirt and turned them, slamming him against the fridge. “Show me!”  
   
 “A’ight.” Bokuto tossed the coin up. “Here.”  
   
 Iwaizumi took several steps back and caught the coin midair. He looked at it, staring at which side revealed itself to him. A second passed, then two, and three, and four, until it was ten, then twenty. He flipped the coin, looking at the other side. He looked up at Bokuto. “It’s blank… your coin’s fucking blank!”  
   
 “Yep.”  
   
 “Why…?” Iwaizumi frowned. “Why would you do that to me…? What the fuck… What the fuck?”  
   
 “You know, there’s a reason I like coin tosses.” Bokuto crossed his arms, leaning back against the fridge. He saw Iwaizumi glare at him. “You made it, didn’t you? Your decision.” He smiled. “Sometimes… when we finally lose control over our options, our choices… only then…”  
   
 “Only then? Only then what?”  
   
 “When the coin’s in the air, when you watch it spin, and you realise something as simple as metal is about to decide your fate…” Bokuto grinned wildly. “Only then do we know what we really want.”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s eyes widened.  
   
 Bokuto just kept grinning.  
   
 At once, Iwaizumi crumpled, knees giving out. He fell to the floor, landing on all fours. It was like a weight lifted from him, like he didn’t have to be strong. But it crushed him. It _crushed_ him. “Why?” he whispered, “Why am I so… indecisive? Why am I so… scared all the time?” He closed his eyes, feeling tears forming for the first time in a long time. “Why am I so… useless?”  
   
 Bokuto walked over and then he squatted down so she was eye to eye with him. “Kid.”  
   
 Iwaizumi looked at him.  
   
 “Look… your Prince? He isn’t perfect. He’s hot tempered, brash… He’s got too much love, too much passion. His dreams are too big… it’s like they’re going to eat him up, you know? He’s got his flaws, no question about it. But you still love him, right?”  
   
 Iwaizumi felt his vision blur. Tears.  
   
 “He’s got his flaws, but you’re still his knight in shining armour ain’t you?” Bokuto grinned. “He’ll understand: You aren’t perfect either.”  
   
 “I’ve…” Iwaizumi closed his eyes. “I’ve… got to go.”  
   
   
  _“Hajime.”_  
   
   
 There was a time Iwaizumi was jealous of Skirt and Angel, since both of them had wings. They could both fly. Iwaizumi wanted to be able to, but now – as he soared through the sky – moving by a force he didn’t understand, zooming through the wind, he felt as though he had more potential than he had ever given himself for. He landed, on a porch, and reached for the door. He expected it to be locked, but the door swung open. The little cozy den of Oikawa’s apartment, where the T.V. was, where the couch they had used their mouths on each other was, was dark – only lit by gentle blue moonlight.  
   
 Sitting on the couch, hugging his knees, Oikawa looked up.  
   
 Iwaizumi realised, at once, that Oikawa was wearing his hoodie. He had thought he lost that hoodie. It was one of his favourites, but he didn’t mind. It looked damn good on Oikawa. He stepped in, outfit of Blade disappearing and normal clothes taking their place. He closed the balcony door behind him and locked it.  
   
 Oikawa stared at him.  
   
 Iwaizumi’s eyes were still wet. He couldn’t help himself; he ran. He practically tackled Oikawa, hugging him, pushing him deep into the sofa cushions. Oikawa hugged back, instantly, arms around him. Iwaizumi nuzzled Oikawa’s neck. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m—”  
   
 “Iwa-chan,” the voice was so soft, confused, but warm.  
   
 Iwaizumi pulled away just enough to see Oikawa, to see his big brown eyes.  
   
 “Iwa-chan… you’re so cold.” Oikawa smiled and hugged him again. “Let me warm you up.”  
   
 “Tooru, I…” Iwaizumi nuzzled his neck. He felt like he was practically crushing Oikawa beneath him, from how he had thrown himself at Oikawa, but neither of them minded. It was comfortable and warm. Roses, he smelled. Roses and vanilla. The smell of a bottom bitch. That’s what it was. He kissed Oikawa’s cheek. “Tooru… Tooru, listen to me, I… I can’t promise you forever… I can’t promise I’ll be here next year, but… but if I can just be here, just—now. If you’ll let me… if you let me be here, for you, now… I just… I want to be by your side.”  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes widened. He smiled, a shy soft smile. He kissed Iwaizumi’s cheek then nuzzled it. “Even, Hajime… even if I’m a bad person?”  
   
 “No, you’re not. Don’t you dare say you are.” Iwaizumi squeezed him. “A little silly, a little spoiled, a little brash… but you’re not a bad person. You have a heart of gold, and I… I don’t deserve you.” He pulled away just enough to press their foreheads together. “I don’t deserve you… I’m sorry…”  
   
 Oikawa giggled, softly, and shook his head (which meant Eskimo kisses since their foreheads were against each other). “Kou-chan always said you would be a good boyfriend because you don’t take what I say without thinking… You don’t worship me. You don’t think I’m the reason flowers exist. You… you’re there to correct me, call me out on my faults when I need you to.” Oikawa closed his eyes. “And I needed you to.”  
   
 Iwaizumi choked back a sob. “But I never did.”  
   
 “You did.” Oikawa opened his eyes again and looked down. “Not perfectly, but—”  
   
 “I should have.”  
   
 “No, Hajime.” He pulled back and smiled. “Hajime… I can’t expect you to be perfect when I’m not.”  
   
 Iwaizumi took a deep, shaky breath.  
   
 “And… you’re right, I… I don’t want a Blood Ring… I don’t want Tokyo…”  
   
 “I know that.”  
   
 “But… I… I’m not a very good Sector Leader, am I?” Oikawa smiled sadly. “I made deals with devils and used the Dark as a way to distract my team. I did some bad things… I was just… It doesn’t make it okay, but I wanted my mom to… I wanted her to love me, like she used to. Be proud of me, like she used to.”  
   
 “She will.”  
   
 “No, she won’t. She never will.”  
   
 “Then fuck her. Forget her.”  
   
 “It’s not that she won’t…” Oikawa sighed. “It’s that she can’t.”  
   
 “Then I’ll love you.” Iwaizumi cupped Oikawa’s face with both hands. “I’ll be proud of you.” He pressed their lips together. “Because you’ve accomplished so much… How can I not? Can’t that be enough for now?”  
   
 “But you hate Sectin, and Sectors…”  
   
 “They…” Iwaizumi’s grip on Oikawa’s face loosened and his hands fell into their laps. “They…” He shook his head.  
   
 “Talk to me, Hajime.”  
   
 Iwaizumi took another breath and closed his eyes. “They killed my mom.”  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes widened, slowly. “Hajime?”  
   
 “We were caught in the crossfire of a Blood Ring feud…” Iwaizumi swallowed hard. “She was torn apart in front of my eyes…” He looked up at Oikawa. “Lights and Dark exist on another plane of existence. Humans can’t see us… sometimes they can walk right through us… but we can’t deny that one plane can have effects on the other. When we fought, downtown, and you used your magnetism… it destroyed the whole street. There were no casualties… but plenty of injuries, plenty of damages… if a human does get caught in that kind of crossfire…”  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes softened. “I… I didn’t know…”  
   
 Iwaizumi nuzzled Oikawa’s neck. “And Sectin is the system that supports and allows it…”  
   
 Oikawa put his arms around Iwaizumi. “Maybe Koushi was right… maybe we should let Sectin die…”  
   
 “I don’t think so.” He took in Oikawa’s scent. It was calming. “Killing innocents to stop others from killing innocents is…”  
   
 “So what should we do?”  
   
 “I don’t know… I don’t know what the right answer is… I don’t know if we’re enough to change the world.” Iwaizumi squeezed Oikawa. “But I want to be by your side… I want to be with you…”  
   
 “Hajime…”  
   
 “That’s the only _damn_ thing I know.”  
   
 “Iwa-chan…”  
   
 “Alls and Nones…”  
   
 Oikawa blinked. “Huh?”  
   
 “Some people are Alls, others are Nones.” He raised his head and looked at Oikawa. “You support everyone… the Sector, the club, Suga, your kouhais – everyone we know relies on you in some way… But who supports you?”  
   
 Oikawa swallowed hard.  
   
 “I can’t promise forever—”  
   
 “I don’t want forever, Hajime!” Oikawa cried out… “I want now.”  
   
 Iwaizumi stared at him.  
   
 “Hajime, we’ll deal with later when we get there.”  
   
 “Okay.” Iwaizumi nodded, slowly.  
   
 There was no doubt that Iwaizumi was the calm and Oikawa was the storm: Where Iwaizumi took too long for a decision, Oikawa rushed his choices. Iwaizumi felt his tears finally fall, and Oikawa was no different. When they were against one another, they polarised; they moved to extreme versions of themselves. Iwaizumi was locked in indecision, while Oikawa burned in ‘shoot first ask questions later’. But maybe they knew… Maybe there was an understanding that this time, together, they would come closer to the centre—that they would harmonise with what they loved about each other, and thrive again.


	34. Reconstruct

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What the fresh fuck. We broke 10k hits! Hehehehehehe, thank you guys. Thank you for supporting me through all this. This is really different from what I usually write and go for, so I'm happy you guys are enjoying it. You guys are amazing. <3
> 
> * * *

 A lot of people wondered about Bokuto Koutarou and Akaashi Keiji. They had both graduated from the Academy, which was formally known as the University of Sectin. Akaashi was top of his class, filling out the ten required lecture courses and five practicums for the Sectin Official within a year – a degree that usually took people two years. The Specialisation Official, which was what allowed him to work with Kozume Kenma, was longer. It included twenty-one lecture courses, eight practicums, and three independent studies. Depending on the specialisation (e.g. Administration, Sector Management, Light Cooperation Force, Irregular Unit) it was four years give or take one or two. Akaashi finished his specialisation within two years.  
   
 What should have taken him six years only took him three.  
   
 He was a prodigy, a god among men.  
   
 His weapon – Kronos – was a scythe that could tear through the fabric of space and time, nullifying any magical attacks, as well as being able to conjure and manifest darkness unlike any other. Akaashi was not only gifted with a powerful weapon, though; he came from a bloodline of high ranking Sectin Officials who trained their family members young. From as young as four he took time every single day to develop a battle sense that was ingrained into his being. He studied, relentlessly, mastering his courses through sleepless nights.  
   
 His family name – Akaashi – had bred some of the most well-known Sectin Officials from Japan. While Akaashi Keiji was supposed to follow in the footsteps of his two older brothers and three older sisters, into Sectin Administration, he diverted himself into the Irregular Unit. He was fascinated by the Dark, by the Reversal. The concept that – if a Reversal happened – all light and dark metaphors in all literature would switch… it captivated him. The idea of people trying to bring forth this nightmare horrified him, stuck with him, but fascinated him. He would not dare bring a Reversal, for everyone he had ever loved would surely die, but he couldn’t stop thinking about it.  
   
 So he decided to specialise in the Irregular Unit.  
   
 His family accepted his decision, since it was still considered a great feat, and his battle sense was sharper than that of his siblings – as was his weapon.  
   
 Strings were pulled for him, and his independent study courses were done with some of the biggest names – including Kozume Kenma.  
   
 “You don’t think very much,” murmured Kenma one day, more disapproval than Akaashi could understand. “You don’t question me, or challenge me. Your family and your upbringing have taught you to think critically, but… only when they want you to.” Kenma shook his head. “You’re useless.”  
   
 Akaashi had felt his perfect world crumble. He had kept this to himself; so, for everyone else, how he and someone like Bokuto Koutarou had ended up talking was incomprehensible. Akaashi’s memories of the tuft of streaked hair gelled into a strange style in the library never left him. At the time, Bokuto was struggling with the concept of elemental polarity. Akaashi knew the topic quite well, but he didn’t know why he went over to the man in the library and helped. Usually he would have kept to himself (high blood only waters down when it mingles with imbeciles).  
   
 That very moment, he met his opposite, and he finally understood jealousy.  
   
 Bokuto Koutarou had earned low grades his entire career, even back in elementary school when teachers were fine with giving the whole class A’s. Bokuto was a lost cause, or at least that’s what the rumours said. With his wild personality, his dramatic mood swings, and his tiny pea-sized brain – why would Akaashi take any interest in him?  
   
 It was during Akaashi’s last year, he was twenty, and Bokuto was twenty-six. They were in the same specialisation, and so after that moment in the library they had opportunities to talk, and a lot in common to talk about.  
   
 “People are really stupid,” said Bokuto one day, at random as they were walking side by side. “They say ‘life is short’, but it’s the longest thing we’re ever going to experience. Everyone’s so convinced about this kind of, time limit, y’know? Everyone wants to be a star by the time they’re twenty… Yeah right. As if there’s anything to gain from that.”  
   
 Akaashi carefully matched Bokuto’s pace as they walked. He considered saying nothing (he usually said nothing), but that bothered him. His parents had raised him on the idea that if he did not get at least two Junior Sectin Recognition Awards by twenty he would be a shame to their name. He had gotten seven – and he had been proud of them. Or, at least, his family was proud of him for it. Akaashi frowned, eyebrows knit tight together. “It’s better that way, though… You’ll get more acknowledgements. More opportunities.”  
   
 “Hmmmm.” Bokuto looked up. “Yeah, but, of all the people who become someone at twenty, are any of ‘em really happy? Any of ‘em seem happy to you?”  
   
 Akaashi’s frown slowly faded.  
   
 “I’m not saying it’s bad to get good shit done early, but everyone’s just… convinced, that life is a goal. A one-shot deal. That life is about one way of doing everything, and any deviation is a sign of failure. Take this many years of this, that many years of this, plus this many years of whatever – it’s like a formula. It’s good to have a plan: I’m not saying it’s not. But. When the frick does life ever go according to plan? If you stick yourself up on these super dumb plans then you’re just gonna shatter when life goes wrong.”  
   
 Akaashi lowered his head, nuzzling into his scarf, thinking of what Kenma told him.  
   
 “It’s like the kids who graduate high school, and they don’t get into the university they want. So they drop out. Why not just take a term or two at a community college, then transfer into the university? It’s the same thing in the end.”  
   
 “It’s a waste of time,” Akaashi pointed out. “And that costs money.”  
   
 Bokuto looked at him. “You’re Japanese, right?”  
   
 “Yes, Bokuto-san. We’re speaking Japanese.”  
   
 “You eat a lot of fish?”  
   
 “Yes.”  
   
 “Soybeans?”  
   
 “Yes, Bokuto-san.”  
   
 “Well the Japanese diet’s going to take us to a hundred years. With all the junk food I’m going to eat, maybe ninety-five for me. Ninety if I don’t stop myself from going to that new donut place. Anyway, ninety years! You really think four months at somewhere else first is going to mean _anything_ in the long run? And it’s not like the courses you take aren’t going to be worth anything. They transfer over, y’know? Maybe you’ll have to retake one, or retake two, which sucks don’t get me wrong, and it does cost ya, but it’s sure as fuck better than dropping out.”  
   
 Akaashi glanced at him.  
   
 “There’s no time limit on life. It’s a matter of perspective, and if you’ve got seventy years left then even taking five to figure out what you want to do isn’t going to make you ‘behind’ on life. People give up so fucking easy, and it upsets me!”  
   
 “Language, Bokuto.”  
   
 “I’m speaking Japanese! None of these people can understand me.”  
   
 “Fair enough.”  
   
 “Plus.” Bokuto sighed. “The kids who do go one term into a community college then transfer would get a better GPA than if they just barely got in and weren’t ready for the higher level stuff, right?”  
   
 “I don’t know.” Akaashi tucked his hands in his pockets. “But it’s better than dropping out.”  
   
 “People give up too easy, Akaaaaaashiiii! They say ‘That’s the way it is’, and it’s stupid!”  
   
 Akaashi bit his lip. He was struggling to reply. For all his smarts, for all his awards, Akaashi didn’t know what to say. But he smiled. Yes, Bokuto Koutarou had a wild personality, yes he had mood swings, and yes he was loud—but he was smart. Akaashi wouldn’t let anyone say otherwise. Maybe not in the academic way, but Bokuto understood the world.  
   
   
 People gave up too easy, on him, on everything.  
   
   
 At the Tsukishima Temple, it was morning. The sky was blue and bright, the air smelled crisp and clean, and the sun had not one cloud in front of it. They had gathered. A meeting was called by Shimizu Kiyoko. Oikawa Tooru was invited, of course, but it was questionable as to whether he would show up. They waited at the courtyard in front of the temple. Tsukishima Akiteru had told them he probably wouldn’t; and, even though it made Hinata Shouyou upset, Tsukishima Kei agreed with him. Kenma didn’t seem interested. Akaashi watched him discuss something with Kiyoko, privately.  
   
 Bokuto, however, was in a rather good mood.  
   
 Akaashi didn’t stare at his lover directly, but he noted the warmth and how upbeat he was about the meeting.  
   
 Akaashi glanced over his shoulder.  
   
 Coming up the stairs was Oikawa Tooru, and behind him Iwaizumi Hajime. They made their way to the top step and paused. They took a few steps forward, feeling everyone’s eyes on them, and then Oikawa smiled. “Hi.”  
   
 “Oikawa-senpai!” Hinata bounced, but stopped. “Iwaizumi-senpai too?”  
   
 “Yeah,” Oikawa said with a nod.  
   
 Kiyoko’s eyes widened, while Kenma just stared.  
   
 Both of the Tsukishima brothers shifted a little.  
   
 Bokuto was smiling wide.  
   
 Iwaizumi looked away for a moment, then back at them. Maybe he felt a need to speak. “We’re on the same side… all of us.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Back in the feudal days, meetings were held between powerful figures at the Tsukishima Temple. A low circular table was in the middle of a large room, smooth white rock. A gift from one of the neighbouring countries across the pacific, apparently. They sat around it, glancing to each other. Kiyoko asked for a minute to get her papers sorted, and Kenma decided to do the same. Akiteru, however, sighed. “Are… any of you guys good with grief?” He looked at them. “A friend of mine, he’s got this boyfriend, and the boyfriend’s cousin got into a car accident.”  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes softened. What a small world. “Yaku-san?”  
   
 Akiteru blinked. “Yeah… you know him? How?”  
   
 “It’s my fault,” Oikawa said in a sigh. “I know Lev must have no one… all he’s ever had was Koushi and I… I shouldn’t have… brushed him off.” Sitting by his side, Iwaizumi slipped his hands against Oikawa’s. Their fingers intertwined and Oikawa squeezed his hand. Iwaizumi didn’t mind. _You support everyone,_ Iwaizumi had said, _But who supports you?_ Oikawa felt his headspace clear up, mind defog. It felt easier to breathe, to think. “But we need to focus on the task at hand. I… apologise for my lack of action in the past few days. We have several leads, from what you guys have told me.”  
   
 “Yeah!” Hinata grinned. “We got something!”  
   
 Tsukishima nodded, Akiteru as well.  
   
 Akaashi cleared his throat. “Our side has also found a lead.”  
   
 Oikawa pouted. He playfully glanced to Iwaizumi. “Hajime, are we the only ones who aren’t contributing?”  
   
 Iwaizumi hid a smile. “I guess.”  
   
 “Well!” Hinata puffed up his chest and put his hands in front of himself. “You guys have done enough… you guys have done, everything really!”  
   
 “For a Sector to be valid,” Akiteru said, “It needs fully-capable members.”  
   
 Tsukishima nodded again. “We can’t let you shoulder everything, Oikawa-san.”  
   
 Oikawa rubbed his nose to hide his smile.  
   
 “They’re not the only ones,” said Kiyoko rather softly. “If I want to be the Sector Manager, I need to pull my weight as well… I’ve been assisting.”  
   
 Kenma nodded.  
   
 Oikawa took a deep breath. Progress. A step forward. “Alright, Kei-chan. You guys first.”  
   
 Tsukishima made a face, but sighed. “Well… our first lead doesn’t hold much water. Let’s face it: You brought Sugawara to the temple, under our barrier, and he ended up being Angel. Either my spell power was too weak at the time – which could be a very real possibility – or he found a way to circumvent the barrier. There’s also the fact that Sugawara-san never attacked you, or Iwaizumi-san, as Sugawara. It was only when he was Angel…”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s eyes narrowed. “They are the same person, though…”  
   
 “It’s worth noting.” Oikawa squeezed Iwaizumi’s hand under the table as he nodded. “Anything else? You said first lead. You have a second then?”  
   
 Tsukishima’s eyes fell downwards. “Well…”  
   
 Akiteru looked away.  
   
 Hinata frowned. “Yamaguchi.” He wiggled in place. “Yams was the hostage, right? That’s not completely possible unless, like, Yams had a connection to the Light or the Dark… I know you guys said it’s because Angel was super powerful, but what if it’s not? He’s been acting really – really weird lately. His boyfriend’s my best friend, so he’s been telling me all about how weird Yams is being.”  
   
 Tsukishima sighed. “I’ve asked him about it several times… He keeps saying his memory is fuzzy… I…” His eyes narrowed. “I don’t want to suspect him…”  
   
 Akiteru glanced to Kenma. “Kei doesn’t have many friends, so he’s been afraid to check the lead out himself.”  
   
 Tsukishima glared at him.  
   
 “But like we said,” continued Hinata, “We’ve asked him about it, and he keeps saying he feels light headed and he wants to go home. Maybe he’s just really unwell, and maybe there’s some like, other like side effects from being used as a hostage? Either way, we need to check him out. Even if he’s innocent, he might need to be purified. Angel wasn’t a Light apparently, so… yeah, those are our leads.”  
   
 “Good.” Oikawa glanced to Tsukishima. “We’ll put together a task force for that. Kenma.” He glanced over. “Thank you again for aiding us during this time.”  
   
 “Hm.” Kenma dipped his head, somewhat awkwardly. “We’ve decided to investigate the origins of the thunder. We’ve got some pieces of evidence, but Akaashi found a quality of the Dark that is… worth noting. Does… does the name, Kuroo Tetsuro mean anything to you?”  
   
 Iwaizumi nodded. “Yeah.”  
   
 “Not you.” Kenma looked gravely at Oikawa. “Tooru.”  
   
 “Yes.” Oikawa’s eyes narrowed. “He was a friend of yours, and a friend of my mom’s. Angel told us my mother was the one who killed him.”  
   
 Kenma’s eyes widened and a sharp gasp made him lose his composure; it was only half a second before he was normal again, but his shoulders shook once, twice. “She…” He lowered his head. “She killed him?” His world divided. _Can I fight him?_ The way Kuroo’s smooth voice whispered, _Kitten_ haunted him. He swallowed hard. Keep it together. Keep it together. “Sorry.” Keep it together. “Yes… he was a close friend of mine, and your mother’s. So that confirms it…”  
   
 Oikawa swallowed hard. “That’s not all… Angel, or Koushi I guess, told us it was Kuroo who gave him his power. My mother’s assassination attempt backfired on him… Perhaps he was corrupted. Who knows?”  
   
 Akaashi’s eyes closed and he made a pained expression before opening them again. “That does not bode well for us.”  
   
 Bokuto perked up. “Why? Who’s this Kuroo dude?”  
   
 “We…” Kenma rubbed his face and looked up at them. “There was a time I was the Sectin Manager here. It was after Shimizu-senior fell ill, and before Kiyoko-san took over. I was… very close to him, and after the death of Kuroo Tetsuro, I became… distraught to say the least. They decided I should… distance myself from the Irregular Unit and, distract myself with upcoming Sector duties.” He coughed. “I had been… rather, disturbed by his death. I had even…” Creases formed along Kenma’s forehead. “I had even reported seeing him alive, more than once, after his death… Sectin won’t believe me if I say he’s returned again, or that I was right all along.”  
   
 “We’ve put in the emergency Reversal request,” added Akaashi, willing to take some focus off of Kenma. “Full Sectin reinforcements will be here within two weeks.”  
   
 “Damn Sectin.” Bokuto shook his head. “That’s going to be way too late. This Kuroo dude was a member of Sectin, right? Then he knows what Sectin’s emergency dispatch times are. He’s going to try to upstart the Reversal way before then.”  
   
 Kiyoko adjusted her glasses. “Then… what would be the best way to go around, dealing with him?”  
   
 A silence fell.  
   
 Tsukishima raised his chin. “If Tadashi and Sugawara-san were involved, would they would have done it through some connection to Kuroo, right?”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s eyes narrowed. “Could it be that they were… tricked, in some regard?”  
   
 Oikawa glanced at him. “How so?”  
   
 “Angel…” Iwaizumi put his hand against his chin. “Angel’s main motivation was to stop you from creating a Blood Ring, here, right? But that doesn’t sound like what Kuroo’s trying to do. Until now I figured Sugawara just didn’t know your identity, but—”  
   
 “—He did.” Oikawa closed his eyes, firmly. “Early on, he knew my name. But…” Oikawa thought back, way back when to when he held the gun, aiming at Suga and Daichi, and Angel appeared. “They were at two different places at once. I’m… not exactly sure as to how that works, exactly, since they ended up being the same person. Two Angels, maybe? But…” He shook his head. “Angel was never… Koushi-ish. And Koushi was never Angel-ish.”  
   
 “The mask may have come into play,” added Kiyoko.  
   
 Kenma nodded. “A cross-shaped mask is not unheard of, but it is considered unnatural by Sectin standards.”  
   
 “Um!” Hinata raised his hand. “Hi! I’m confused!” They looked at him and he gulped. “Well, like… how exactly did this Kuroo guy… I mean, if Yams and Suga-senpai are really… if they’re really people like Angel, how exactly would Kuroo have turned them into… Lights?”  
   
 “Darks,” clarified Akaashi. “We are Lights, because we exist above the balance. Darks, as in those mindless creatures, exist below the balance. Were a reversal to occur, then we Lights would be known as Darks. And the Darks, as in the mindless creatures, would be known as Lights. I… suppose it could be a confusing concept, since we use these words without any context or thought of a Reversal… but the best way to put it is: If we are Human Lights, then Angel and the thunder-elemental would be Human Darks. They are higher beings, but our anti-versions, our polar opposites, our equivalent.”  
   
 Hinata tilted his head. “But… how would he even, do that?”  
   
 “Well…” Oikawa forced a smile. “People who are close to the ‘edge’, so to speak, may end up seeing the hidden world.”  
   
 Hinata glanced at him. “Edge?”  
   
 “Either by being raised in a family, or in cases of strong emotion, such as anger or even depression… You could be at your greatest lows, or you could be on top of the world. It’s a case-by-case basis, but these people see past the veil that hides the other plane. The problem is, of course, if you stare and see this world – then it stares back at you. It sees you in return.”  
   
 “That’s why…” Hinata looked down, thinking of his first night… being chased and screaming, begging for help. He remembered Skirt appearing like some kind of god, offering him his hand. He was crying his eyes out, and this brilliant figure had come to his rescue. He had sworn loyalty since then. He glanced back to Oikawa, remembering the words _“You’re not alone. You’ll never be alone with me, okay?”_ Hinata had felt utterly sick at the time, and it wasn’t until he was purified that he felt like he could breathe again.  
   
 Tsukishima glanced at him.  
   
 Hinata’s cheeks warmed and he mumbled some nonsense.  
   
 It had been Tsuki that had purified him, and Hinata’s crush had started then.  
   
 “It’s kind of a rule, I guess,” Oikawa went on, “Not to ask what brings someone into the realm of Light and Dark.”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s eyes unfocused.  
   
 Kenma hummed thoughtfully. “It’s a strange system that cannot be altogether predicted, but some end up seeing this world, others do not. But we do know certain factors – such as repeated exposure – can predict it fairly easily.”  
   
 Akiteru tilted his head. “Did Sugawara and Tadashi spend a lot of time together?”  
   
 Oikawa, Iwaizumi, and Hinata all straightened their backs. It was Iwaizumi who spoke, “Quite a lot of time together, lately.”  
   
 Kenma’s hands fiddled with each other. “Kuroo…”  
   
 Iwaizumi looked at him. “How exactly did you know Kuroo?”  
   
 “We were friends…” Kenma avoided all eye contact. “With benefits. For a time. It doesn’t matter, though… But he, he… he was kind, and loving… gentle, in his own way. He teased, a lot, but never meant anything by it. If he ever found out he offended or hurt you with his jokes, he’d apologise right away… He…”  
   
 Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow. “You had feelings for him?”  
   
 “Yes.” Kenma’s jaw tightened. He looked up. “But he chose someone else in the end. Got married. Made some little Kuroos, then died.”  
   
 Iwaizumi swallowed hard.  
   
 Kenma closed his eyes. “It’s best we end this as fast as possible; his family shouldn’t be informed of his… posthumous activities. This isn’t the man I know. He wouldn’t bring the Reversal.”  
   
 Hinata rubbed his knees. “And the Reversal… it means, it means Sectin falls apart, and all of us get super weak, right?”  
   
 “We’ll die,” assured Oikawa. “No question.”  
   
 Hinata meeped.  
   
 Kiyoko adjusted her glasses again. “The whereabouts of Kuroo Tetsuro and the mystery behind Angel and Sugawara Koushi are unknown. Although they are leads, we have no one direction. As for Yamaguchi-kun…”  
   
 Tsukishima fought back the urge to growl. “He’s my best friend… I’ll… pay him a visit.”  
   
 “I’m going too!” Hinata assured with a nod.  
   
 Akiteru smiled. “I’ve known him since he was little…”  
   
 “Well, good meeting!” Bokuto clasped his hands together. “We’ll leave that to you guys. We’ll see ourselves out!”  
   
 Akiteru smiled. “Thanks.”  
   
 Akaashi nodded in respect, but Kenma just glanced to Oikawa one more time.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Kuroo stood atop one of the higher buildings, feeling a nice little breeze pass him by. He crossed his arms, cocking his head to the side. “So, they know all about me being back I guess.”  
   
 “Good. This will speed things up.”  
   
 “Yeah.” Kuroo put a hand on his hip. “Think they will fall for it?”  
   
 “Of course they will.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 When the doorbell rang, Yamaguchi thought nothing of it. He had been in the kitchen, which was near the front entrance, so he walked over and opened the door. When Tsukishima stepped in, without saying a word, he thought nothing of it either. Tsuki had always invited himself over. But seeing both Hinata and Akiteru made him blink once, twice. “Oh,” he said as he forced a bit of a smile, “Hi. What are you guys doing here?”  
   
 Tsukishima glared at him. “Where are your parents?”  
   
 “Gone.” Yamaguchi rubbed his wrists together. “They left yesterday, went to visit my aunt after she went into labour. I have a little cousin now!”  
   
 Tsukishima was about to take another step in when Hinata tugged his arm.  
   
 “Remove your shoes! Be nice!”  
   
 Tsukishima frowned, but complied.  
   
 Yamaguchi awkwardly took a step back. “What’s up, guys?” He faked a cough. “If you guys want to hang out I’m quite sick today…”  
   
 Hinata began with a, “Hey so um—”  
   
 “—Don’t trust Kuroo,” snapped Tsuki.  
   
 Yamaguchi’s eyes widened. “What? Who?”  
   
 “You’re a shitty liar, Tadashi. You’ve always been.”  
   
 “No… I…” Yamaguchi took another step back. When the three of them took steps forward, he turned tail and ran. He didn’t know what he would gain from running up the stairs and hiding in his room, but when he got there—he screamed.  
   
 The window was open, spilling daylight into the room. There was Skirt, leaning against a wall, legs crossed, arms crossed. On the other side of the room was Blade, standing firm, hands at his sides. Neither of them wore masks.  
   
 Yamaguchi backed away. “Don’t hurt me, please! Please!” He turned around, but,  
   
 Tsukishima glared at him, Hinata did too, but Akiteru gave a soft, “We won’t.”  
   
 “I didn’t! I didn’t—” Yamaguchi shook his head, spinning in a circle, almost tripping on his feet. “I never wanted this!” he yelled; frantic, screaming now, “Suga-san wasn’t!—”  
   
 “Slow down,” murmured Iwaizumi. “It’s okay.”  
   
 Yamaguchi turned back to him, swallowing hard.  
   
 “Yama-chan,” Oikawa said softly, “We won’t hurt you if you can tell us what we need to know. We just need the truth.” Oikawa seemed relaxed despite how hard his heart was beating, like a war drum pulsing in his ears. “So, no point beating around the bush: Let’s start with the basics… Kuroo Tetsuro… he’s back?”  
   
 Yamaguchi stared for a full minute, before he nodded his head – twice.  
   
 “And he recruited you for his cause?”  
   
 Yamaguchi nodded his head – twice.  
   
 “And he recruited Koushi?”  
   
 Yamaguchi blinked; and, slowly, he nodded his head.  
   
 Oikawa tilted his head. “And what does that mean?”  
   
 “Kou—I mean, Sugawara-senpai…” Yamaguchi’s knees wiggled. “He was… I don’t… fully… He wasn’t, completely. He.” He took a gulp of air. “He didn’t buy into it, as I did. Kuroo had recruited Sugawara-senpai first, before me, but Sugawara was very… skeptical?” He shuddered, unable to keep his mind off the fact he was surrounded. “He never, fully embraced the Light and the Dark… He never really, um, how do I put this?” He swallowed hard. “He was divided, Kuroo said. He said that, that Suga-senpai was divided – even before the Light and Dark – and because he was being divided by something inside himself, Angel and Sugawara were… There was a rift, inside him, between them.”  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes narrowed. For half a second, his analytical gaze softened into guilt, but it flickered back to his previous look. “So they were both the same, and separate people?”  
   
 “I…” Yamaguchi rubbed his arm. “Tsuki told me once, that the brain sometimes dissociates, I think. But Sugawara was smarter than I was, and so was Angel. He didn’t dive into it like I tried to… So Kuroo used his power to turn Angel into a Dark, while keeping Sugawara relatively unaware. He would blackout from time to time, and sometimes he even split in two; Lights and Darks exists on a different plane of existence than humans, so theoretically our two selves don’t have to exist at the same place at the same time? If that makes sense?”  
   
 Oikawa tilted his head. “What do you mean by Suga was smarter than you?”  
   
 “I…” Yamaguchi closed his eyes. “I guess I was easier to trick. I bought into it, wholeheartedly. Kuroo said… Kuroo said we were saving the world, that we were doing a good thing… I thought! I thought—” Yamaguchi scrunched up his face, keeping his eyes shut. “I thought… the Reversal sounded so good, but when… when you and… when you two fought Suga-senpai…” He opened his eyes, slowly. “The way you disagreed, and… and after Suga was hospitalised… Kuroo just, he just… he _laughed_ like it was a joke, like it was funny! I just… I don’t know anything anymore!”  
   
 Tsukishima’s eyes softened.  
   
 “I don’t know anything anymore!” Yamaguchi dropped to his knees. “I don’t know who is right… I don’t know who is wrong, but…” He looked down. “But I think I’m wrong… I think I am… very, very wrong.”  
   
 Iwaizumi took a deep breath; he felt a pang of sympathy, empathy for anyone who just did not know the right path. “You are,” he said, because shielding the blow never helped. “Or, I guess you could say you were. What you do from here is up to you. Work with us, Yamaguchi-san.”  
   
 Yamaguchi sat on his knees, hand in his lap, head down. “There’s something else… something, something that’s kind of… urgent.” He winced, as if he were to be struck. “There’s lots of things that can be forgiven, but…” He took a moment to breathe. “Kuroo tasked me with the objective of turning another human into a Dark. A Sector needs five members… Kuroo, Angel, and myself were the main three. Kuroo turned Suga, and Suga turned me… Kuroo said he was already on making the fourth member, but I was tasked with finding a fifth member, so that we could finalise the Sector and bring about the Reversal in an instant. I thought I was building an army, I thought I was doing something good! I thought!” Yamaguchi lowered his head, as if to bow.  
   
 “Wait…” Hinata’s eyes widened. Yamaguchi’s guilty look was the answer he needed. Hinata voice was low when he said, “You don’t fucking mean,” but the volume of his speech ramped up to a climax when he yelled, “You don’t mean– _Kageyama?”_  
   
 The doorbell rang.  
   
 Oikawa sighed. “Are you fucking kidding me, that dumb shit…”  
   
 Iwaizumi rubbed his jaw. “Say his name and he appears.”  
   
 “I…” Yamaguchi had tears in his eyes. “I can’t see him right now… What if I turn him? What if it’s too late?”  
   
 “It might be,” admitted Oikawa. “But, let’s focus on what we can do. You, and Suga, and Kageyama—”—the doorbell rang again—“—You guys have never been purified, have you?”  
   
 Tsukishima nodded. “That’s our priority, then. I’ll take them to the temple.”  
   
 “I’ll make sure Tsuki doesn’t kill anyone.” Hinata nodded. “And we’ll try to get some more info.”  
   
 Akiteru gave them a nod.  
   
   
 Oikawa and Iwaizumi were left alone in Yamaguchi’s room.  
   
   
 It was odd.  
   
   
 Iwaizumi turned to Oikawa. “Should we let them handle it themselves?”  
   
 Oikawa nodded slowly. “I feel bad, but should we search this room? Might find something. And Suga’s room. If we find something, anything, it’ll be worth it.”  
   
 They did search the room, and found nothing.  
   
 Oikawa sat on Yamaguchi’s bed, looking at his stuffed animals (bears, six of them). “We should go to Suga’s room next.”  
   
 Iwaizumi walked up to him and cupped his face. He leaned down, just enough to kiss his forehead. “We don’t have to do it today.”  
   
 “The Sectin dispatch is going to take two weeks to get here,” he murmured, “And you heard Yamaguchi… Kuroo wants to use my failed Sector to bring about the Reversal, instantly.”  
   
 “We’ll have to do it, Tooru, but it doesn’t have to be right _now._ Okay?” He squatted down so he was looking up at Oikawa. “You’ve been through a lot lately… I’m not saying you’re made of glass, but let your subordinates take care of it for now. We’ve got Kenma’s group working with Shimizu-san too, right? I’m proud of you. Even if all we’ve done is have a meeting and find Yamaguchi, it’s a huge find for us. We’ve achieved a lot.”  
   
 Oikawa looked at him, and nodded.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 It was strange, and yet it wasn’t that strange. Getting a whole tray of food, style a la Iwaizumi, was like a reminder of all the good times they’d shared, and all the good times that they could have again. They were together, again. Iwaizumi’s meal was a miso soup with tofu and some spinach that he might as well use before it went bad, grilled salmon that was aromatic with a wonderful sear, a cucumber salad (store bought), several pickled things, a bowl of rice, green tea, and a glass of water. A tray for each of them.  
   
 “Mmmm!” Oikawa smiled as he held his chopsticks in his hands. “Housewife Iwa-chan, back in action!”  
   
 “Oh my God,” murmured Iwaizumi, “To think I actually missed you…”  
   
 “Iwa-chan!”  
   
 Iwaizumi flashed him a smile, and Oikawa couldn’t help but smile back. They began eating, but Iwaizumi paused. “Tooru.” He glanced up. “The first day I… first time I transformed, into Blade… Kuroo found me. He kept me against Sectin and I think in his own way he was asking me to join him, but my dad moved and I lost sight of him.”  
   
 Oikawa sipped on his tea. He put the mug down, gently, so there was no noise.  
   
 “About your mom…”  
   
 “We got into a car accident,” explained Oikawa. An image of her warm, loving eyes, filled with fear when she flicked them up to the rear view mirror; the image of her, right before she made her choice—”It was a bad hit.” He swallowed hard. “She could have died, but honestly death might have been kinder. She got severe brain damage… she would have died if it wasn’t for the fact Lights have faster cellular regeneration even as humans. But neurogenesis, and the regeneration of brain cells, still doesn’t happen often. It ruined her, her personality, empathy, sympathy, all of her emotions. She’s just… a shell, now.”  
   
 Iwaizumi looked at him. He tilted his head, slowly. “What was she like, before?”  
   
 “She…” Oikawa’s mouth tugged up into one of his shy, small smiles. “She was so good to me.”  
   
 Iwaizumi didn’t get anything else, but he didn’t push it. He went back to eating.  
   
 Oikawa sipped on his miso soup, that was darker than Iwaizumi’s because he had added soy sauce (Iwaizumi was scandalised). He had tried to defend himself by saying he liked salty things, like Iwaizumi’s cum, but Iwaizumi just told him to shut up and eat. It had made him smile, the way they fell back into their usual pattern.  
   
 Iwaizumi sipped his own soup.  
   
 “Still.” Oikawa put his bowl down, eyes unfocused. “To kill her own friends…”  
   
 “Do you want more?”  
   
 Oikawa looked up. “Yes please. It’s… been a while since I ate an actual meal.”  
   
 Iwaizumi got up, getting them both seconds. When he placed Oikawa’s plate down in front of him, he leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Eat up.”  
   
 Oikawa blushed, feeling all giddy and warms and butterflies inside. “Iwa-chan, want to watch a movie tonight?”  
   
 “Hm.” Iwaizumi looked at him. “You mean, want to pretend we’re normal tonight?”  
   
 “Yeah.” Oikawa laughed, nodding slowly. “I think I really need that right now.”  
   
 After eating a second (and third) round of dinner, they washed up the dishes and put them away. They sat on Iwaizumi’s couch and Iwaizumi let Oikawa decide. It was some anime movie about something. Iwaizumi wasn’t too focused on that. He was more focused on the fact that Oikawa sat between his legs and Iwaizumi could – again – put his arms around him, and nuzzle his neck. About halfway through, Oikawa asked if Iwaizumi was even paying attention. Iwaizumi repeated the plot of the movie, and Oikawa gave a satisfied nod.  
   
 “Still, you should be looking at the T.V., Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “Your hair is so fucking pretty, holy shit.” Iwaizumi couldn’t look away. “Jesus Christ.”  
   
 Oikawa turned, smile on his lips. “You like it?”  
   
 “Mhm. Pink’s definitely your colour, pretty boy.” He kissed just under Oikawa’s ear. “I’m so fucking lucky… holy shit.”  
   
 Oikawa laughed, a loud embarrassed giggling noise. He covered his mouth for a moment, then turned to Iwaizumi so he was sitting sideways between Iwaizumi’s legs. “Do you have any idea how lucky I am to have you?”  
   
 “No.” He leaned in and kissed Oikawa, feeling his _boyfriend’s_ pair of lips against his (and it still felt as giddy as their first kiss when they were thirteen, and just as giddy as their first kiss after reuniting).  
   
 Oikawa moved his head back, just a little bit. “Hajime… I missed you… so much.”  
   
 “I know.”  
   
 Oikawa pouted. “You know? That’s not the romantic answer I was looking for.”  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled and kissed the corner of Oikawa’s lips. “How about this: If you felt the same way I did, then I know.” His smile softened and he stared into Oikawa’s warm brown eyes. “I missed you… a lot more than I’m willing to admit.”  
   
 “Hajime, I want to stay here tonight. With you.”  
   
 “Please.”  
   
 Oikawa wiggled and pulled out his phone. “But you’re violating boyfriend requirement number thirty-two: We don’t have enough cute pictures together. I gave you plenty of cute pictures of me, but you never gave me cute pictures of you.”  
   
 “Nah.”  
   
 “You don’t like the pics I gave you?”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s cheeks warmed a little bit. He looked away. “I liked… the cat-ears one…”  
   
 Oikawa smirked. “Good.” He kissed his cheek. “Let’s take cute selfies.”  
   
 “No.”  
   
 Oikawa held his phone up and snapped about eight or nine pictures. “Just smile.” He pouted. “Please?” Iwaizumi did not smile, but he did give a little peace sign in one of them and it made Oikawa laugh just before Oikawa snapped the pic. It was a cute picture. Oikawa approved and set it as his background. “We’re pretty cute, Iwa-chan. Well, I am. I’m the cutest.”  
   
 Iwaizumi figured Oikawa was expecting a snarky comeback, and that was exactly why he kissed him chastely and said, “You are, Prince.”


	35. Solidify

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late chapter! Work's been really stressful lately and its bogging me down. I love writing this fic, though; it's like relaxation. I just really wanted to say thank you for all the amazing, lovely comments and all the great messages you've been sending me. It's really easy to get all bluh with work right now, but you guys have kept me going, so yeah thanks, <3
> 
> * * *

 Warm, so fucking warm, and safe. Just, safe, and warm, and everything that felt like home. Oikawa nestled closer to the warmth that was Iwaizumi Hajime. He took in his scent of aftershave and sea salt, and pressed himself as close as he could. They had gone to bed cuddling, but their limbs had disentangled overnight. Oikawa gently took one of Iwaizumi’s arms and put it around his waist. Where it belonged. He smiled and nuzzled Iwaizumi’s neck, keeping his eyes closed. He hummed, playfully, and sighed like a furnace. He stayed still, listening to Iwaizumi’s beating heart. The sun only made a few lines of light through the blinds, leaving the room dark enough for their eyes, but bright enough to see.  
   
 Oikawa peeked one eye open, looking at Iwaizumi’s sleeping face. He smiled and opened his other eye. He lifted himself up a bit and moved closer, so he could press their lips together.  
   
 Iwaizumi smirked into the small kiss. “Good morning.”  
   
 “Morning.” Oikawa’s smile turned to a grin. “Hi.”  
   
 Iwaizumi opened his eyes and looked up at Oikawa. He wrapped both his arms tightly around Oikawa’s waist and smiled. “I missed this.”  
   
 “Yeah.” Oikawa’s eyes were slightly wet, vision slightly blurry. “Me too.” He looked down, noting that he wore his cute undies. Iwaizumi didn’t notice last night, but he would today. Or at least Oikawa hoped so. He leaned over and kissed Iwaizumi again. “Do we have school today?”  
   
 “Yeah… It’s Monday.”  
   
 Oikawa pouted. “I should go… I’ve missed so many lessons…”  
   
 “It’s cool.” Iwaizumi pulled away from Oikawa enough to sit up. Oikawa moved onto his knees, and they leaned against each other, shoulder to shoulder. “Tooru, we should take the day off.”  
   
 “But…”  
   
 “Fuck school.” Iwaizumi smirked. “I want to spend today with you.”  
   
 Oikawa smiled, small and shy the way Iwaizumi loved. He looked away to let out a little chuckle. “Yeah… I can get my mom to call the school and excuse me… I should probably do that since I haven’t before…”  
   
 Iwaizumi tilted his head. “All your teachers know why you’re missing school.”  
   
 “I know, I know, but I get perfect attendance awards every year.” Oikawa pouted. “And when Koushi’s all better and we’ve saved the world, maybe they’ll forget why I missed so many classes. Can’t have that, now can I?”  
   
 “Perfect attendance,” murmured Iwaizumi. “That’s an awful award… I mean, really, to think you never took a day off? To think you never just needed a day for yourself…”  
   
 Oikawa smiled softly. “I don’t like being alone, Hajime.”  
   
 Iwaizumi kissed him. “Call your mom. I’ll call my dad, ask him to excuse me. We’ve got work to do today. Hinata’s leading the charge with Yamaguchi and Kageyama, right?”  
   
 “Heh. Yeah.” Oikawa nodded slowly. “Iwa-chan…” He pressed his forehead against Iwaizumi’s shoulder. “I’m scared.”  
   
 Iwaizumi put an arm around him. “Why?”  
   
 “In the end, Angel knew our identities… So Kuroo…”  
   
 “Kuroo potentially knows our names…” Iwaizumi’s jaw tightened. “What school we go to, where we live… etcetera, right?”  
   
 Oikawa made a little affirmative noise. “But, at the same time, he would have attacked by now wouldn’t he?”  
   
 “That might just be positive thinking. He might have something else up his sleeve.”  
   
 “Hmmm.”  
   
 “A lot of this doesn’t add up, does it? Do you think we’re wrong, on the wrong track?”  
   
 Oikawa sighed and pulled away. “About Angel… there’s something I want to say.”  
   
 Iwaizumi looked at him. “Tooru—”  
   
 “Let me say it.” Oikawa sighed. “Look, it’s just…”  
   
 “I know what you’re going to say,” murmured Iwaizumi. “You blame yourself for everything… this isn’t an exception.”  
   
 “But I am at fault.” Oikawa’s eyes hardened. “Hajime… Don’t you get it…? I created Angel. _I. Created. Angel._ I divided Koushi.” Oikawa took in a sharp breath. “That’s what divided him, the fact he had a best friend, a best friend who hid things from him, lied to him, kept secrets from him—a best friend who promised him the world, who promised to never do any of what I did to him, to him. I made Koushi love me and hate me at the same time…”  
   
 “Tooru—”  
   
 “Hajime.” Oikawa shook his head. “We all pretend the world is so white and black, we all pretend that we understand everything, that there are explanations for everything, and we stupidly think that even if we got the explanations that somehow we’d be smart enough to understand them. But that’s not the way the world works. It’s not just about black and white, Dark and Light—there’s more. Life is so complicated…” Oikawa shook his head, again. “I’ve been trying to think about it, whether Koushi loves me or hates me. He’s like a brother to me, more. He’s so important to me, Hajime, and the idea that he was Angel and he hated me… But I have to accept that I wasn’t the best friend he could have had. I hid things from him.”  
   
 “You had to.” Iwaizumi’s eyes narrowed. “You couldn’t tell him about the world of Light and Dark. Exposure would bring him into the world. Whether he was divided, or not, the blame resides with the person who brought him to the edge—”  
   
 “—But that’s just it.” Oikawa looked down. “That’s what brought him to the edge. Me.”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s jaw tightened.  
   
 “I want to visit him…” Oikawa raised his head. “I want to go see him today… okay?”  
   
 Iwaizumi nodded. “Want me to come with you?”  
   
 “Yeah.” Oikawa rearranged himself so he was sitting legs crossed. “There’s also Kenma… I have a feeling he’s not telling me something.”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s face soured. “Mhm… I got that feeling too. There’s something between Kenma and Kuroo that he doesn’t want you to know.”  
   
 “Hajime… What if someone’s controlling Kuroo?”  
   
 “Huh?”  
   
 “He’s dead, right? Well… if Kuroo was controlling Koushi, then how do we know someone’s not controlling Kuroo?”  
   
 “But then we could just ask who is controlling that person, and so on and so forth.” Iwaizumi tilted his head. “We can’t get too skeptical.”  
   
 “Hm.” Oikawa nodded. “You’re right.” He leaned over and kissed him. Without warning, he put all his bodyweight on Iwaizumi so he fell back and Oikawa fell on top of him.  
   
 “Hey!”  
   
 Oikawa laughed and crossed his arms over Iwaizumi’s chest, looking at him.  
   
 Iwaizumi frowned. “What? What’s with that dumb look?”  
   
 “I just… never thought I could talk to you of all people about this.” Oikawa sighed warmly. “To think… for most of the year, we didn’t even know we were each other… How did you know I was Skirt?”  
   
 Iwaizumi tried to keep a straight face, but he chuckled. “You said ‘Leave some room for Jesus’ too many times.”  
   
 Oikawa blinked once, twice, then snickered. He exploded into full blown laughter and rolled off of Iwaizumi.  
   
 Iwaizumi chuckled as well and rolled over. He wrapped an arm around Oikawa’s waist, pressing Oikawa’s back to his chest. “I love you, Prince.”  
   
 Oikawa looked over his shoulder, lips into a big smile. “I love you too, Hajime.”  
   
 Iwaizumi leaned over and kissed his cheek. “We should get up.”  
   
 Oikawa nodded.  
   
 When they did, they noticed they both had messages from the same person.  
   
  _[Hinata Shouyou, 9:02am] kei nd I are skipping school today (akiteru 2), but! We shuld have a meeting after school, got lots of info from Yamaguchguch and Kagsey. Ur gonna want to check this stuff out urself. Trust me._  
   
 “After school,” murmured Oikawa. “We don’t have club today so…” He counted on his fingers. “We have lots of hours until then.”  
   
 “Mhm.” Iwaizumi read the message over. “I’m going to start breakfast.” He headed into the kitchen and noticed Oikawa following him. “Hinata’s growing kind of reliable.”  
   
 Oikawa nodded and hugged Iwaizumi from behind, slouching down a bit so he could rest his chin on Iwaizumi’s shoulder. “I’m thinking of making him my Second in Command.”  
   
 Iwaizumi paused, glancing over his shoulder to him.  
   
 “Well.” Oikawa smiled sadly. “I would have chosen you, but it’s not your kind of job… you wouldn’t be happy with it, would you?”  
   
 “No,” he admitted. He felt, ironically, a weight being lifted from his shoulder as Oikawa continued to slouch on him. “Hinata, though?”  
   
 “Well, neither of the Tsukis are really made for the job.” Oikawa hummed. “Kei’s grown a lot in his own way, but he seems more like a private type, not really one for delegating and taking care of others – unless they go to him first. Akiteru’s a lot better, but he’s got dreams. This is a side thing, for him. Good money, though; it’s paying for his education. He is putting his life on the line, though, so it makes sense. But he’s getting better.”  
   
 “You too,” Iwaizumi said as he cracked an egg on the pan. “You’re a lot stronger.”  
   
 Oikawa smiled sadly. “I can’t believe I shot you.”  
   
 Iwaizumi snorted. “You did a lot of dumb shit to me.”  
   
 “And you still stuck around?”  
   
 “Apparently.” Iwaizumi kissed his cheek. “You’ve got some good qualities too, I guess.”  
   
 Oikawa grinned. “That’s because you bring out the best in me.”  
   
 Iwaizumi snorted. “Can you get plates?”  
   
 “Sure.” Oikawa let go and grabbed two of the smaller plates. “I love you, by the way.” He kissed Iwaizumi’s cheek. “Just in case I didn’t say it enough.”  
   
 “Love you too.” Iwaizumi put the eggs on the plates. His eyes flicked down for a second, then back at Tooru. “Cute undies, by the way.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 After breakfast, which was eggs, a miso soup, and a couple cut up fruits, they got another message about the case at hand.  
   
  _[Shimizu Kiyoko, 11:42am] I’ve been assisting the Irregular Unit. According to Akaashi-san, Kuroo is not currently in this Sector. Kozume, however, wants us to take that with a grain of salt. Kuroo has played enough games to lure us into a false sense of security before, and this may be no different; we can relax, but let’s not lower our guard too much… Good luck._  
   
 “That’s good news,” murmured Iwaizumi.  
   
 Oikawa was rinsing the plates with him. “Yeah, we can breathe a little easier.”  
   
 “I wonder what he’s doing now.”  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes narrowed. “Hmmm.”  
   
 “What is it?”  
   
 “Well.” Oikawa huffed. “He’s the kind of… He’s the ‘stay in the shadows’ kind of guy, right? We’ve never even seen his face, but we know it’s him, right? This whole time, he’s stayed away from the front lines… but according to both Angel and my mom, he’s strong – like super strong. Stronger than my mom, or Kenma. So why isn’t he lunging himself at the front lines? Why isn’t he killing us himself? What’s the point of all this? What’s his design trying to get at?”  
   
 Iwaizumi bit his lip. He dried another plate. “I don’t know… But you’re right. He’s choosing not to involve himself directly.”  
   
 Oikawa sighed. “He sent Yamaguchi and Koushi after us, tried to corrupt Kageyama, and apparently he’s working on corrupting someone else as we speak… He sends monsters at us, but… Hmm. Do you think he’s weak? Like, he came back from the dead, so he needs to rest, or he’s at half power… or maybe corrupting and summoning monsters is a big drain on him?”  
   
 “That’s likely.”  
   
 “Yeah.” Oikawa handed him the last plate. “Let’s go out. I don’t want to think about this anymore.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 They went to the get groceries at an open-air market. They walked from stall to stall, buying fruits and veggies. The local fisherman had a sale on shrimp, and they were nice and big, so Iwaizumi bought a bunch. They still had their shells, and some of them still moved, so Oikawa screamed, but Iwaizumi rolled his eyes and said he’d take care of them. He said he’d make something great for dinner with them. Oikawa hummed and said okay, but kept his distance from the wigglies.  
   
 “After our meeting at the shrine,” Oikawa said softly, “Can we stop by my place?”  
   
 Iwaizumi knew they had to check Sugawara’s room for clues. “Yeah.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Kiyoko adjusted her glasses. “Kenma’s squad won’t be joining us for this meeting.” They were outside, in the courtyard. Spring’s air was starting to warm to summer’s now. “Bokuto’s doing rounds around the clock to give us more time to work on our investigation. Akaashi’s tracing the currents of darkness, and Kenma is doing something of his own accord.”  
   
 Oikawa nodded. “Thanks for letting us know.” He glanced to the centre of the courtyard. There were rings around two people that were sitting side by side. Oikawa knew those magic circles: They were the Tsukishima purification sigils. Oikawa’s eyes softened.  
   
 “I’m so sorry,” whispered Yamaguchi.  
   
 Kageyama, confused, blinked at him.  
   
 “I’m sorry… I’m sorry,” Yamaguchi kept repeating, “I’m so sorry.”  
   
 Kageyama awkwardly gave him a one-arm hug and pulled him a little closer.  
   
 “Shou-chan.” Oikawa turned to Hinata. “What’s the deal with Tobio-chan?”  
   
 Hinata walked up them and scratched his cheek. “Kags says he can see the Light and Dark.”  
   
 “Yeah?” Oikawa paled. “So he’s been converted… he can see the Dark…”  
   
 Kageyama’s head perked up and he glanced at them. “You mean those monsters?” He tilted his head, ever so slightly. “I’ve always seen them. Since I was little.”  
   
 Oikawa and Iwaizumi stared at him, blankly.  
   
 Even Kiyoko seemed too stunned for words.  
   
 Kageyama nodded. “I’ve always seen them, and the people that fight them. They were blurry before… but ever since I was a kid. So… They’ve gotten clearer now… I, see them better.”  
   
 “I’m so sorry,” whispered Yamaguchi, clutching onto his arm.  
   
 Kageyama blinked, and then frowned. He leaned over and kissed Yamaguchi’s cheek.  
   
 Yamaguchi looked at him, pain swirling in his eyes.  
   
 Kageyama just looked at him, no expression on his face.  
   
 “So.” Tsukishima pressed the end of his staff against the tiles, making the rings of his Buddhist staff ring a hollow metallic sound. “They both need to be purified. You especially, Kageyama. The clearer you see them, the clearer they see you.”  
   
 Hinata nodded. “And they’re super dangerous!” He began punching the air in front of him. “They put up a fight!”  
   
 “It’s fine.” Kageyama yawned. “If Hinata can do it then it’s probably not that hard to fight them.”  
   
 “Hey!”  
   
 “Tobio-chan,” Oikawa interrupted them. “If you don’t get purified, you’ll eventually sink into the Dark. You’ll become one of those monsters.”  
   
 Yamaguchi looked away, as did Tsukishima.  
   
 “Hm.” Kageyama tilted his head, not really getting it. “You mean like the Kuroo-san guy everyone talks about?”  
   
 Oikawa thought about it. “Maybe, yeah…”  
   
 “Tooru,” called out Akiteru as he approached them, rod in hand. “There’s something else we have to tell you… It’s about Tadashi… There’s a possibility he won’t survive.” He swallowed hard. “He’s tapped into the dangers of the Dark… We’ve been to see, Sugawara, and he’s fine. I think his divide is what saved him… but Tadashi, we’ll have to be purifying him at a constant rate to get his daily dosage… The ritual will consume most of our time and energy. Kei and I, we’ll be unable to join you at night.”  
   
 If Oikawa felt anything by hearing his best friend’s name, he didn’t react to it. “Figures.” Oikawa glanced to Iwaizumi and they both nodded. “Kuroo probably did that on purpose to lower our spell power.” He sighed and shook his head. “It can’t be help. You two focus on purifying these two. With Bokuto-san helping us with the Dark, we should be able to distribute our nightly rounds evenly between Hinata, Iwaizumi, and myself.”  
   
 Kiyoko looked at him. “As you mentioned, Kuroo may be doing this lower our spell power. If so, Akaashi’s abilities should be able to fill the role of any caster we need.”  
   
 “I hate saying this,” Tsukishima admitted, “But that Akaashi guy is probably better than Akiteru and I combined. The aura he gives off is something else…”  
   
 “Hm.” Oikawa offered a smile. “Jealous, Kei-chan? You know you could go to the Academy if you want to boost your abilities… You’ve been taking this pretty seriously lately.”  
   
 Tsukishima looked away, “Tch.”  
   
 Hinata grinned, but his smile faded. “Yams gave us some more info though. It’s not much, but…”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Kiyoko had made notes and forwarded them to Oikawa and Iwaizumi. As they went up the elevator, Oikawa read over the notes and sighed. “Hinata wasn’t kidding. There’s really not much here, but they did interrogate him thoroughly.”  
   
 Iwaizumi nodded. “It means we know he’s taking a lot of heavy precautions to conceal himself, though. That says something.”  
   
 Oikawa nodded. The elevator door opened and they stepped out. They walked down the hall, Oikawa taking the lead, but paused in front of the door. Oikawa glanced to the side, to the door that led to Sugawara’s apartment. He sighed. “I should…” He glanced to Iwaizumi, who gave him a nod, and he smiled. He reached for the door handle, slowly, but the door opened first.  
   
 Sugawara’s mom just stepped out and blinked as she saw him. “Oh. Tooru.”  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes watered immediately. “H-Hi…”  
   
 She smiled, wide. “Come here.” She opened her arms.  
   
 “I’m sorry—I,” he said as he hugged her, tight. “I haven’t…”  
   
 “It’s okay.” She kissed his cheek. Her voice was shaky, off, “Lev told us about how… disturbed, you were…” She pulled away from him and took a deep breath. “A coma,” she murmured. “My God, I just…” Her eyes unfocused. “They have no idea if he’ll wake up or not.”  
   
 “He will,” assured Oikawa.  
   
 She gave him a strained look, a forced smile. “The doctors told us… ‘not to get our hopes up’. It doesn’t exactly, look good.”  
   
 Oikawa swallowed hard. “How are you?”  
   
 “Me? I’m…” She spaced out for a moment. “I’m good as I can be, I guess… Tired. Very. I can’t sleep, at all. It just hits me sometimes, when I want to ask him something, and I always feel…” She blinked and stared at him. “I’m sorry. I’m… My husband’s the same way. You know he is. We’re… holding on.” She nodded a few times. “Yeah.” She pursed her lips. “Holding on. That’s how I’d put it.”  
   
 Oikawa felt his throat tighten. “How’s Lev?”  
   
 “Oh the poor boy—he’s sick now, got a cold. He was at the hospital so long, every day, it’s no wonder he caught something… It’s not the flu or anything, just the common cold. That boyfriend of his stops by every once in a while—what a kind, sweet boy, by the way; he reminds me of Koushi…” She blinked tears out of her eyes. “But Ya-kun keeps him going, but it’s obviously hard on him too. I should be making him soup, but I’ve got to see clients and…” She sighed. “So much to do, but I’m just so tired. Can’t get out of bed in the morning… Sorry. I shouldn’t be unloading on you.”  
   
 Iwaizumi cleared his throat, reminding them he was there. “Would you like us to make a soup, or something?”  
   
 She laughed—loud. She covered her mouth and dipped her head in apology. “Sorry, sorry, just… Maybe you can make soup, but Tooru does not belong in the kitchen.”  
   
 Oikawa pouted. “Ouch!”  
   
 “But thank you for offering.” She smiled at him. She looked between them, not asking the question ‘Are you back together?’, but they could see it in her glance. “If you’d like to, it would be great. But please don’t force yourselves. Anyway… I have to go, now. Meeting with client.” She glanced once more at Oikawa. “I love your hair, by the way. Very cute.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 When they got to Oikawa’s apartment, Oikawa zoned out. Iwaizumi hugged him from behind, resting his chin on Oikawa’s shoulder. It made Oikawa smile, and he hugged Iwaizumi’s arms around him. They stayed like that, in silence, for a few minutes. Eventually Oikawa turned his head to look at Iwaizumi. “I’m glad you’re here.”  
   
 “Me too.” Iwaizumi leaned in and kissed his cheek.  
   
 “Iwa-chan, can we – meaning you – make soup for Lev?”  
   
 “Yeah, but we’ll need ingredients.”  
   
 So they got ingredients.  
   
 It was weird, shopping for groceries twice in the same day, but it was easy since Iwaizumi already had a mental list of what they needed for some good ol’ chicken noodle soup. “Noodle for the noodle,” Oikawa had joked. Iwaizumi rolled his eyes, but smiled. When they paid (Oikawa insisted he pay, since Iwaizumi had paid for the last set of groceries) there were a few bags. Oikawa smiled as he took one. “I’ll carry the heavy b—ah—oh,” his whole body limped to one side. “Bara-chan!”  
   
 Iwaizumi took the heavy bag with ease and looked at him. “What did you call me?”  
   
 Oikawa giggled, loud, then broke into a cackles. “I,” he tried to say between his laughs, “I tried to say Iwa-chan and Iwa-bara at the same time but I said Bara-chan!”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s eyes narrowed.  
   
 “Jesus, I am so cute Hajime. You’re damn lucky. I’m cute, right?”  
   
 “No,” Iwaizumi murmured in deadpanned. _He’s so fucking cute,_ Iwaizumi kept his thoughts to himself, _God help me he’s cute._  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Instead of making soup as they had expected, Oikawa jumped on his bed as soon as the groceries were put in the fridge.  
   
 Iwaizumi followed into the room. “What now?”  
   
 “Nothing.” Oikawa rolled over onto his tummy. “Lay with me.”  
   
 Iwaizumi moved next to him, feeling himself sink into the mattress. He looked at his boyfriend, his face, just examining how… nice it was. The curve of his lips, the softness of his eyes, the swooshyness of his moronic bedhead. He moved closer and Oikawa turned to face him. They kissed. Iwaizumi nibbled on Oikawa’s lower lip, making Oikawa snicker.  
   
 Oikawa pressed himself up against him, and broke the kiss. “Iwa-chan…”  
   
 “Shh.” Iwaizumi smirked, keeping his eyes closed as he moved back into another kiss. His hands roamed Oikawa’s body, up and down his side.  
   
 Oikawa chuckled. “You are rather playful today…”  
   
 “Am I?”  
   
 “I think you know.” He nuzzled Iwaizumi’s cheek. “I want to make Iwa-chan happy today.”  
   
 Iwaizumi opened his eyes. “Hm?”  
   
 Oikawa’s cutesy voice dipped a darker, sultry one, “I wanna do something naughty for you, Hajime.”  
   
 Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow. His smirk had a sharp edge to it. “Yeah?”  
   
 “I have a feeling you already know what you want…”  
   
 “Maybe I do…” Iwaizumi leaned in, kissing him. “If you’re up for it…”  
   
 “Hmm, what is it?”  
   
 “Still got those kitty ears?”  
   
 Oikawa’s cheeks flushed. Of all things… He smirked, though. “Of course.” He kissed the corner of Iwaizumi’s lips. “Gimme a sec.” He rolled over, opened his drawer of sex toys, and pulled out the pair of brown cat ears. He put them on and looked at Iwaizumi. “Mew mew.” He couldn’t help but laugh. He looked up. “It doesn’t match as well, though… because of my hair.”  
   
 “Nah,” Iwaizumi said as he sat up, pulling Oikawa close. “It looks cuter now.” He looked at the strands of pink in Oikawa’s hair, then to the little cat ears. He pulled Oikawa closer, into his lap, knowing his boyfriend would feel his boner right away.  
   
 Oikawa grinned. He put a hand down and groped the outline of Iwaizumi’s cock. “Didn’t think you’d be into these kinds of things, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “I didn’t know either, until I saw that picture you sent me.”  
   
 Oikawa grinned and kissed him, rough.  
   
 They began taking their clothes off, peeling off the layers one by one. Sweaters and shirts were tossed aside, pants and socks kicked off the bed, and Oikawa made a big show of firing their underwear like an elastic band across the room.  
   
 Oikawa’s hand curled around Iwaizumi’s cock, stroking him quickly. “What position do you want?”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s fingers slipped inside Oikawa, feeling how wet he already was. Without thinking he blurted out, “Yay, it’s your cunt.”  
   
 “Yay! It’s my cunt!” Oikawa reflexively replied. They both paused, snickered, and Oikawa kissed him with a teasing scrape of teeth. “I asked you what position you want.”  
   
 “Mmm, doggy-style…”  
   
 “Doggy?”  
   
 “You don’t like doggy?”  
   
 “I thought you’d want to see my pretty face when we fuck.”  
   
 “Why would I want to see that?”  
   
  _“Iwa-chan!”_  
   
 Iwaizumi giggled, actually giggled, as he fingered him. “I’m kidding, of course I do…” He kissed Oikawa’s neck, then shoulder. “But there’s more to see, too, you know?”  
   
 “Yeah?”  
   
 “Oh yeah.”  
   
 Oikawa moved away and crawled on all fours. “Tell me what you like about doggy, tell me what you like to see…” He shook his hips playfully, wagging his ass in the air. “Or kitty style, maybe.”  
   
 Iwaizumi spanked him.  
   
 “Ouch!” Oikawa felt his pussy squeeze reflexively at the hit, and an electrical little thrill ran up his spine. He smirked. “Naughty Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “Well, for one…” Iwaizumi got on his knees behind him and stroked his cock. He rubbed the head in a ring around Oikawa’s entrance, feeling him shiver. “I get a nice, nice view.” He began to push in, inch by inch.  
   
 Oikawa closed his eyes, feeling Iwaizumi enter him, fill him, slowly, inch by inch, moving towards his core. His knees twitched, toes curled, while his hands squeezed the sheets. Oikawa felt his body hug around the cock, making it feel so much bigger and thicker, and he loved how comfortably it was sliding in, filling him, filling him. He couldn’t help but move his hips back, hurrying Iwaizumi in. When Iwaizumi pulled back, Oikawa whined, and Iwaizumi began pushing back in. Oikawa let out a long, “Ahh,” until he felt the base of Iwaizumi’s cock against his body. “Mmmm.” He bit his lip, shivering. He squeezed down on the cock inside him, earning him a gasp from Iwaizumi, and Oikawa smirked.  
   
 Iwaizumi leaned forward and kissed Oikawa’s neck. One hand moved forward, playfully moving around Oikawa’s throat, playfully stroking the skin of his neck with his thumb. He felt Oikawa quiver. He moved his hand down, down over Oikawa’s chest, feeling the soft skin over the hard muscles. He moved down, down to Oikawa’s clit.  
   
 Oikawa meeped.  
   
 Iwaizumi smirked. “That was a pretty cute noise.”  
   
 “Sh-Shut up, Iwa-chan.” He grinned, keeping his eyes closed. “If you don’t start fucking me right now…”  
   
 “Got it.” Iwaizumi straightened his spine. He grabbed Oikawa’s hips and kept him steady as he began to thrust in and out, slow at first. He looked from Oikawa’s ass over his back, to the tuft of brown hair with pink highlights. “Your kitty ears are too fucking cute.”  
   
 Oikawa looked over his shoulder. “Mew, mew.”  
   
 Iwaizumi began speeding up and gave him another spank.  
   
 “Ow!” Oikawa blushed. “Don’t stop; faster please…”  
   
 Iwaizumi was happy to comply. He looked down, being able to see his cock sliding in and out of Oikawa’s cunt. Iwaizumi was hard as a rock, so hard it almost hurt, but fuck—he missed this. He missed Oikawa’s body for one, but he missed the teasing, and the jokes, and how they could both dish out some dirty talk but neither of them could take it. He sunk himself deeper with every thrust, moving his hips faster and faster. His hands, firm on Oikawa’s hips, guided him—pushing his body away when he pulled out, and bringing Oikawa towards him when he pushed in. “You’ve got such a cute little butt, Tooru.”  
   
 Oikawa chuckled, pushing his head into the pillow so he wouldn’t laugh to loud. He looked over his shoulder. “Is that the nice view you were talking about?”  
   
 Iwaizumi smirked and gave him another spank. “Not the only one,” he admitted, “But it is nice.” He leaned forward and kissed Oikawa’s neck. “Your back muscles are really nice, you know?”  
   
 Oikawa’s cheeks flushed. “My back muscles?”  
   
 “Mhm. Well built, on such a pretty frame.” He kissed Oikawa shoulder. “God, you’re so fucking hot you know that?”  
   
 “Yeah?”  
   
 “Oh yeah.” Each thrust pressed the base of his cock against Oikawa’s ass. When it did, he felt the warmth of Oikawa’s cunt against his balls. It was a strangely exhilarating feeling. He slipped his hand between Oikawa’s legs again, rubbing his clit.  
   
 Oikawa felt his thighs quiver. Iwaizumi cock was hot and perfect; his body squeezed around it, tightening itself for more friction. The hand against his clit was slow and careful and he whined. “You can be a bit rougher than that,” he whimpered.  
   
 Iwaizumi was happy to oblige. He began kissing Oikawa’s shoulder as well, and eventually his neck.  
   
 Oikawa’s knees began to shake and he whimpered. Warm and wet, tingling sensations tickling his neck made him gasp. “Mmm.” He shut his eyes, holding back another moan. The thrusts were both intense and comfortable, hot and addicting. Oikawa began to arch his back.  
   
 Iwaizumi moved back, straightening his spine as he watched.  
   
 And Oikawa knew he was watching. It both mortified and thrilled him. He arched his back and his hands reached forward, desperately clasping onto the headboard of his bed. He held himself up, as Iwaizumi kept thrusting, faster, harder. “Mmm—fuck!” he practically hissed, squeezing on the cock inside him. There was the sound of skin slapping skin with every thrust.  
   
 Iwaizumi began kissing his shoulder again, thrusting and thrusting.  
   
 Oikawa whimpered. “Iwa-chan,” he moaned, “Iwa-chan…”  
   
 Iwaizumi purred into his ear, “Yeah?”  
   
 Oikawa’s cheeks flushed, burning as hot as he was. “I’m gonna cum,” he admitted. He felt all kinds of butterflies soaring inside him; he felt vulnerable, like he was opening, but not in a bad way. “Hajime,” he whimpered, “Hajime…”  
   
 Iwaizumi began patting his clit, quick movements at a constant rate.  
   
 Oikawa squeezed his eyes shut. He began moaning, loud, louder. He couldn’t think anymore. Too much heat for his brain to function. He felt like he was sinking into pleasure, hot white. “Hajime!” His body squeezed, cunt squeezed on the cock inside him. He cried out, throwing his head back, eyes wide and starry. His body pulsated, hot flashes and pleasure soaring through his skin.  
   
 Iwaizumi kissed his neck.  
   
 Oikawa whimpered something, audible but nonsense. His hands slipped from the headboards and he caught himself on the bed. He sunk down, against the sheets, slipping off of Iwaizumi’s cock. He shivered, putting a hand over his pussy as he looked up. He felt both embarrassed and exhilarated.  
   
 “Wow…” Iwaizumi smirked, a proud smirk. “That looked good.”  
   
 Oikawa gave a nervous little laugh.  
   
 “Hmm.” Iwaizumi grabbed the back of Oikawa’s knees, turning him onto his back and holding them up. “Kitty feel good?”  
   
 “Mew mew, yes, shut up.” Oikawa failed to fight back his smile. He grabbed Iwaizumi’s cock, positioning it against his cunt as Iwaizumi thrust back in, filling him again. “Just fuck me.”  
   
 Iwaizumi slid back in; it was good, hot, wet. Sweat dripped off his forehead. He thrust forward, completely sheathing himself. He leaned down, kissing Oikawa.  
   
 “Feel good?”  
   
 “Real good.”  
   
 Oikawa grinned. “I like watching you fuck me, you know?”  
   
 “Yeah?”  
   
 “Mmm, yeah.” Oikawa felt the cock slide in and out of him, and how fulfilling it felt to be filled. “Cum for me, Iwa-chan… I want you to make a mess in me.”  
   
 Iwaizumi smirked. The thought of cumming deep in Oikawa… He shivered and began thrusting faster, getting back to the pace he was going before. “I like it when you talk dirty, you know?”  
   
 “Yeah?” Oikawa grinned, putting an arm around Iwaizumi’s neck. “Fuck me, Iwa-chan. Fuck me…” He did his best to look extra cute. “Mew mew.”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s eyes flashed up to the kitty ears, then back down. His hips began moving faster, he began thrusting harder, fucking deeper. “I like it when you squeeze on me.”  
   
 Oikawa smirked and playfully squeezed on the cock inside him.  
   
 Iwaizumi took in a sharp breath, shutting his eyes, doing his best not to cum. He kept thrusting. He opened his eyes again, looking up and down Oikawa’s body, realising Oikawa was doing the same for him. “Fuck.” He leaned in, kissing Oikawa, biting his lower lip.  
   
 Oikawa whimpered and kissed back. He squeezed again, and—  
   
 “Fuck,” whispered Iwaizumi. His body stopped, he closed his eyes, pushing his forehead against Oikawa’s neck. He came, deep, shooting his load in several shots.  
   
 Oikawa felt the pulsation and it thrilled him, making him feel naughty and sexy. He smirked and kissed Iwaizumi’s jaw. “You lasted a lot longer than eighteen seconds this time.”  
   
 Iwaizumi snorted and kissed whatever skin he could reach. “Is it your job to ruin every moment?”  
   
 “No, just a hobby.”  
   
 Iwaizumi raised himself and looked at Oikawa. “Don’t ever change,” he whispered, “You annoying stupid fuck, don’t you ever change.”  
   
 Oikawa smirked. “Mew mew.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 When someone knocked on the door, Lev walked over and opened it. He blinked. “Hi.”  
   
 “Look!” Oikawa held the big pot. “Soup!”  
   
 Lev backed away, giving them both room to enter.  
   
 Iwaizumi dipped his head politely before entering. “We heard you were sick, and… yeah, soup helps, so…”  
   
 Walking up to them was Yaku. He tilted his head, surprise mild on his face. “That’s really thoughtful of you guys.”  
   
 “Of course it is.” Oikawa flashed him a smile. “Because I’m amazing.” He walked in and put the pot of soup down on the stove.  
   
 Lev hovered around him and looked through the see-through lid. “Can we eat this?”  
   
 “Yep.” Oikawa clasped his hands together. “It’s for you, Otouto.”  
   
 “Uh…” Lev chuckled and scratched his nose. “I meant, um… is it… Like, sorry, but can we eat this? Is it… safe?—Sorry Aniki, it’s just—”  
   
 “Lev,” hissed Yaku.  
   
 Oikawa gasped, putting a hand over his chest. “Iwa-chan, look at what he said about our cooking!”  
   
 “My cooking,” Iwaizumi corrected. “You have every right to be afraid, Lev.” He ignored the scandalised _Iwa-chan!_ and just shuddered. “I know what you mean. He’s really awful.”  
   
 “Geh!”  
   
 Yaku snorted.  
   
 “Anyway,” murmured an annoyed Oikawa. “I might not have actually contributed to the soup, but! I put my love in it, so you better fucking eat it. Fluids are good for you!”  
   
 Lev smiled, but it was a strained smile. Still, it was his first smile in a while.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 A few hours later the sun had long since set. They walked, together, to the general hospital. Oikawa was wearing another one of Iwaizumi’s hoodies, while Iwaizumi just wore a sweater. He nudged Oikawa and murmured, “Hey… Are you sure about this?”  
   
 “I…” Oikawa took a deep breath as they stepped in. “I have to, okay?”  
   
 “Okay.”  
   
 A nurse saw them and said, “Visiting hours are over.”  
   
 “We know,” chimed Oikawa, practiced playful smile on his lips. “We’re just heading that way for, something.”  
   
 The two of them walked and shifted, like a blur, into Skirt and Blade. They walked side by side, until they reached the room they were looking for. Oikawa took a deep, shaky breath, but entered. Iwaizumi followed. While Oikawa walked to the patient lying unconscious on the bed, Iwaizumi stayed by the door.  
   
 Oikawa sat on the stool and wheeled himself closer. “Kou-chan…” He eyed Sugawara’s body and his eyes watered. “Hey…” He reached out and took Suga’s hands, holding them in his own. They were warm and lifelike, but Sugawara was not. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I had to go through your stuff… to find any data on Kuroo… didn’t find anything, of course, but…” He bit his lip. “I wanted to say, that I don’t blame you… I think Skirt’s flawed, you pointed that out, but I think Tooru is too. I just wanted to say… I understand, and I’m sorry.” He closed his eyes, lowering his head. “Koushi… wake up. Just, wake up, won’t you?”  
   
 Iwaizumi watched for as long as he could, until he closed his eyes and looked away.  
   
 “I’ll wait for you, ” assured Oikawa. “Until you wake up, I’ll wait for you, train-boy. Life’s not the same without your sound effects…” He leaned over, kissing Suga’s forehead. “I love you.”  
   
 Sugawara remained still.  
   
 Oikawa took a deep breath before turning to Iwaizumi, giving him a nod.  
   
 Iwaizumi glanced to Suga, then back to Oikawa. “Hey, Tooru.”  
   
 “Yeah?”  
   
 “If you and Sugawara switched places… what would you tell him?”  
   
 Oikawa glanced to Suga, seeing how peaceful his face was. “Be brave, be smart… and fake it until you make it, Kou-chan.”  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled.  
   
 Oikawa did too.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Kuroo walked along the rooftop of a building. “Well well well, if it isn’t Master Evil in all evilness’ great evil glory.”  
   
 “I’ve decided our next move.”  
   
 “I’m all ears…” Kuroo grinned. “But you better move quick.”  
   
 “Why?”  
   
 “It’s the girl… she’s figuring it out.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Shimizu Kiyoko had always been mystified by power. By power of Alls and Nones, as simple as it sounded. She had been born, blessed with a power which made her – honestly – powerless. She had no powers of her own, although she possessed something. It angered her more than anything, but she did not complain, would not complain.  
   
 Sparks in the dark.  
   
 Light, shaking and crackling, warm and bright.  
   
 Shimizu Kiyoko sat on her knees in a pitch-black room. In her hands flickers of colours formed into an orb, a light.  
   
 A power.  
   
 Though it wasn’t much, in the dark even a candle was the sun. It was then she realised that she, herself, would be dawn. Regardless of what was to come… she would be the rising sun itself. Her eyes widened. The words left her mouth before she even realised the gravity of what she had said: “I’ll fight too.”


	36. Manhandla

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've marked how many chapters there will be; we're nearing the end, now! As always, you can also find me on [Twitter (@Remembrance123)](https://twitter.com/Remembrance123) or [Tumblr (Remembrance123)](http://remembrance123.tumblr.com/). 
> 
> But back to Chapter 36: Enjoy!
> 
> * * *

 Kuroo walked along the rooftop of a building. “Well well well, if it isn’t Master Evil in all evilness’ great evil glory.”  
   
 “I’ve decided our next move.”  
   
 “I’m all ears…” Kuroo grinned. “But you better move quick.”  
   
 “Why?”  
   
 “It’s the girl… she’s figuring it out.”  
   
 “Then we will move quickly. The boy: Blade. He is Skirt’s support. Skirt holds up the world, while Blade is his personal pillar. We wait. We let them feel safe. We let Skirt feel invincible… then, when he’s not expecting it—we break the floor beneath his feet. We take Blade.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 School was as school was. They decided to go today, just for the sake of it. It was hard to focus on classes, but they tried. Halfway through first period, Daichi looked at them, maybe a little jealous that they were together, maybe not. Daichi was… hard to read lately. Neither of them could blame him, really.  
   
 First period turned to second, and so forth until lunch, and then the end of the day.  
   
 The day passed with ease; the sun moved through the sky, people moved through their lives.  
   
 Daichi went to the volleyball club. Kageyama would be going as well, Oikawa thought to himself, but they had to busy themselves with the anime club. The members were happy to see Oikawa back, and happier to see Oikawa and Iwaizumi together again. Hinata was there, of course, as was Yamaguchi. It all felt so… routine, even if it wasn’t. There was someone missing, of course.  
   
 Suga.  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes softened. He was sitting in Iwaizumi’s lap as the credits began to play. He leaned back to whisper in Iwaizumi’s ear. “After school, my place?”  
   
 Iwaizumi blinked. “Sure, why?”  
   
 “No reason, just want you there.”  
   
 “Okay.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Kenma watched as the students left the school. It was sunset. He watched Oikawa and Iwaizumi leave the school together, feeling a strange feeling. He had given up on them. But Bokuto hadn’t. In a way, Bokuto saw through what he said he would do; Bokuto saw his actions through the impossible. Kenma knew, regardless of Kuroo or the Reversal, his time was limited. He would soon die. His life had a timer, a countdown, an expiry date, and then his neck would snap and he would be done for. It was impossible to fight fate… Kenma’s closed his eyes. But if he could see his own actions through the impossible…  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “Can we get into our pyjamas?” asked Oikawa.  
   
 Iwaizumi blinked. “It’s like six…” He glanced at the clock on Oikawa’s stove, wondering where the time went. “We’re like three hours early, aren’t we?”  
   
 Oikawa pouted.  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled. “Okay, okay.”  
   
 “Good!” Oikawa took off his shirt and threw it aside. “You can stay shirtless if you want, Bara-chan.”  
   
 “Don’t call me that.”  
   
 Oikawa chuckled.  
   
 Iwaizumi pulled off his uniform, going shirtless just because he could. In their pyjamas, somehow they ended up on the couch, cuddling. Neither of them minded, of course. Oikawa kissed him firmly, and Iwaizumi smiled and nuzzled his cheek.  
   
 “I miss this, Hajime… I don’t know, I don’t care if the world ends today. I just… want this.”  
   
 Iwaizumi played with his hair, with the pink feathers, the tips of his swooshy bedhead. “I know what you mean, but it doesn’t mean I want the world to end.” They snickered. “Kiss me?”  
   
 Oikawa complied.  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled into the kiss.  
   
 Oikawa broke away. “I’m hungry…”  
   
 “Hmmm… well we’re already in our pj's… do you have food in the fridge?”  
   
 “You bought those shrimp the other day. Creepy crawly ones.”  
   
 “Yeah but that’s at my place.”  
   
 “Oh.” Oikawa blinked once. “As Blade you can teleport right? So, uh… just zoom over there…” He did shooing motions with his hands.  
   
 “You’re a spoiled brat, you know?”  
   
 “Mhm.” Oikawa grinned. “Go! Iwa-chan, fetch!”  
   
 “Arf, arf, motherfucker,” murmured Iwaizumi. He got off of the couch, switched to Blade, and blurred into the darkness. It was weird, really, to see a medieval knight holding a bag of shrimp, but whatever. He made a couple trips, getting bamboo steamers of all things. The only thing Iwaizumi said was, “Stay out of the kitchen and let me cook.”  
   
 “Hey,” whined Oikawa. “I was pretty good last time!”  
   
 “Aha.” Iwaizumi began to boil water. “Funny.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Tsukishima was tired, to say the least. Having to purify through the night and power the ward through the day, on top of school and studies… He yawned as he walked to his room. He closed his eyes as he walked, lids too heavy. He slipped, though, eyes going wide.  
   
 “Oy!” Hinata caught him. “You’re overworking yourself…” He pouted, worry filling his face with tight knit eyebrows and lips scrunched up.  
   
 “Yeah,” murmured Tsuki.  
   
 Hinata helped him to his room and sat him down on his bed.  
   
 Tsuki sighed, removing his glasses to rub his eyes. “Kageyama’s purified,” he said softly. “But we’re still working on Tadashi.”  
   
 Hinata sat next to him, watching him wobble left and right. “Lean on me.”  
   
 “I might fall asleep on you.”  
   
 “Good.” Hinata grinned. “I like it when you’re tired; wanna know why?”  
   
 “Because I’m too tired to call you short and useless?” asked Tsuki as he leaned on Hinata, nuzzling the crook of his neck.  
   
 Hinata smiled, kissing his forehead. “Yep.”  
   
 “You’re… not.”  
   
 Hinata blinked. “Huh?”  
   
 “I mean… well, you are short… sorry… but you’re not useless… I’m…” Tsukishima sighed, keeping his eyes shut. “I’m glad you’re here… I don’t know what I would do without you…”  
   
 Hinata swallowed hard.  
   
 Tsukishima opened one eye. “You’re cute, too… I like it. Determined, I guess… heart on your sleeve… passionate… compassionate… everything I’m not… everything I wish I was. But, I don’t know, when I’m with you…” He pressed himself further against Hinata. “I feel… like I want to be better… to be a better me…”  
   
 “Tsuki—”  
   
 “Kei,” he murmured. “I told you to call me Kei…”  
   
 “Kei,” corrected Hinata.  
   
 “Mmm.” Tsukishima closed his eyes again, tired smile on his lips. “I like it when you say that… I’m sorry. I’m tired. I have no idea what I’m saying. I want to lie down.”  
   
 Hinata helped him, putting his glasses on his nightstand and resting his head on his pillow. He got on the bed after Tsuki, pressing their bodies close together. Lying down, their height difference meant nothing, so he could give Tsuki an even-height kiss. It was small, short, and Hinata blushed like a schoolgirl, but it was nice. “Hey, um, Kei? Can I uh, I don’t know, you know, maybe like um stay here, tonight? Not like dirty stuff or anything, just—”  
   
 “Yeah.” Tsukishima put an arm around him, pulling him close. Hinata’s head was pushed under his chin, and he smiled, wide. “I’d like that.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “You made dumplings!” Oikawa clasped his hands together, seeing the moon-white translucent dumplings with little bits of pink inside. “Yum! Housewife Iwa-chan is—”  
   
 “—Back in action, yeah yeah I know.” Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. “Eat up.”  
   
 “Iwa-chan.” Oikawa looked at him. “Did you make these because I said that Chinese restaurant had the best dumplings, when we had dinner with your dad?”  
   
 “Yeah.” Iwaizumi sat next to him on the island counter. “Now just eat, okay?”  
   
 Oikawa kissed his cheek. “I love you. You know that, right?”  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled, kissing his cheek in return. “I love you too.”  
   
 Oikawa grabbed his chopsticks and ate a dumpling and moaned happily, closing his eyes as he munched on it contently. When he swallowed, he noticed Iwaizumi was still looking at him. What?”  
   
 “I’m just… thinking about how lucky I am.” Iwaizumi’s smile was soft and gentle. “To have you, I mean.”  
   
 Oikawa gave a mock pout. “Hajime. I’m supposed to be the cute on in the relationship.”  
   
 Iwaizumi laughed. “Sorry.”  
   
 “You should be.” Oikawa pointed at the dumplings. “Now eat, or I’ll eat them all.”  
   
 “You can eat them all if you want,” admitted Iwaizumi. “You need to eat real food instead of the garbage I see in your fridge and pantry.”  
   
 “Hey!”  
   
 Iwaizumi grabbed one of the shrimp dumplings and dipped it in the sauce he prepared. “My job is to spoil you, Prince.”  
   
 “I’m gonna get spoiled rotten by my housewife.”  
   
 Iwaizumi gave him a sharp look. “Just eat your fucking food before I change my mind.”  
   
 “Hey! There’s nothing wrong with housewives if that’s their choice; power to women! Fourth wave feminism all the way!”  
   
 “If you keep talking there’s no dumplings for you.”  
   
 “Iwa-chan is empty threats.”  
   
 Iwaizumi grabbed the bamboo steamers.  
   
 “Wait no I was kidding please no they’re the best dumplings I’ve ever had please Hajime please!”  
   
 Iwaizumi put them down and sighed. “You’re a loser. But I love you.”  
   
 “Good.” Oikawa moved in to kiss his cheek.  
   
 Iwaizumi turned his head at the last moment, catching Oikawa’s lips with his own.  
   
 Oikawa laughed and pulled away. “Hey!” He glared. “I’m the cuter one.” He smacked his chest. “Me.”  
   
 “I love you, so, so much.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “You don’t have to feel guilty.”  
   
 Yamaguchi jumped.  
   
 Kageyama was right next to him.  
   
 Yamaguchi stared. “Y-Yeah,” he said after a breath. “Sorry…”  
   
 They were in the living room of the Tsukishima temple. Yamaguchi had easily convinced his parents that it would be best for him to stay with Tsukishima, especially since they were out of town. Kageyama had said it was a studying party, and his parents bought it. They had been given rooms, since the temple used to house many, but Yamaguchi always found himself crept up on by Kageyama.  
   
 Kageyama took his hand, somewhat awkwardly.  
   
 Yamaguchi smiled softly.  
   
 “I…” Kageyama’s lips wibbled. “Like you.” He cleared his throat. “A lot.”  
   
 Yamaguchi’s cheeks warmed.  
   
 “I… don’t really get all of this,” admitted Kageyama. “I don’t know why I’m being dragged into all of this, but at least… you’re not alone. I… want to be with you.”  
   
 Yamaguchi stared at him.  
   
 “What.”  
   
 “How can you say that so… honestly, easily?”  
   
 “What.”  
   
 “Nothing.” Yamaguchi laughed, scootching closer to him. “I’m… glad you’re honest with me. I was scared you’d hate me… Now that we’re here, there’s no way back. I’ve… changed your life, completely.”  
   
 Kageyama looked at him. “Um. There’s something I want to ask. Oikawa-san’s mom… she owns a ‘Sector’, right? It’s her job to take care of it?”  
   
 “It’s something like that, I think. Oikawa-senpai plans to take over this Sector… it’s like a fulltime job.”  
   
 “So…” Kageyama looked up. “I’m guaranteed a job.”  
   
 Yamaguchi laughed, nodding slowly. “I guess, but you have to get good at it, right? You haven’t even transformed yet… We don’t know if you even can…”  
   
 Kageyama frowned.  
   
 Yamaguchi cautiously rested his head on Kageyama’s shoulder. When Kageyama didn’t freak out, Yamaguchi relaxed. “How’s volleyball practice?”  
   
 Kageyama’s eyes lit up. “Well—” He stopped. He relaxed. “Daichi-san’s been… out of it… ever since… Sugawara-senpai… But we’re all practicing hard, for him. The first tournament this year is coming up… I think he was, looking forward to Sugawara-senpai being there.”  
   
 Yamaguchi closed his eyes. “It’s all my fault.”  
   
 “No.” Kageyama frowned. “It’s not.”  
   
 Yamaguchi lifted his head and looked at him. “But—”  
   
 Kageyama pressed their lips together. He shut his eyes, trying to put compassion and care and other warm fuzzy awkward feelings into the kiss. When he moved back, he opened his eyes and looked at Yamaguchi, who was stunned. “Don’t.” His eyebrows twitched. “Don’t be dumb.” He frowned. “I don’t like that.” He looked away, eyes scouting the room before going down to look at their hands together, noticing how easily their intertwined. “So what. Shit happened. Move on. Focus on the future. That’s all we can do. Right?”  
   
 Yamaguchi stared at him before giving a little nod. “Yeah.” He kissed Kageyama’s cheek. “Yeah, you’re right.”  
   
 Kageyama looked him in the eyes, before leaning in again. Yamaguchi did the same, and their lips met once more.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “Iwa-chan,” whined Oikawa as he rolled on top of his boyfriend. “I’m bored.”  
   
 Iwaizumi opened his eyes and looked at him. “Bored?”  
   
 “Entertain me.”  
   
 Iwaizumi held his hands up and looked at his fingers. “Want to paint my nails?”  
   
 “Hells to the fucking yes!” Oikawa perked up. “What do you want? Hearts? Anime eyes? Letters?”  
   
 Iwaizumi wrapped his arms around Oikawa and pulled him close. He used a cuter voice when he whispered, “Cute wittle aliens…”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “Excuse me, ma’am!” Azumane Asahi landed on a rooftop, weapon in hand. “Oikawa-san.”  
   
 Michimiya looked over her shoulder, to him. Tokyo was frigid at night, especially this one. “What do you want?”  
   
 Asahi yelped. He put his hands together, awkwardly, and rubbed them. “Um, h-hi. It’s… It’s j-just that, our neighbour sector… Yokohama… They’re not a full Sector yet, but um… they’ve initiated an emergency warning. For a Reversal. Shouldn’t we… go help them, or do something?”  
   
 Michimiya turned to him, fully. “Sectin?”  
   
 “They’re setting up a dispatch, from what I heard, but that takes roughly two weeks.”  
   
 “Then I trust in their judgement.”  
   
 “But what if—”  
   
 “I’ll watch,” whispered Michimiya. She lowered her head, ever so slightly. “If anything happens, I’ll be there.”  
   
 Asahi let out a sigh of relief.  
   
 Michimiya’s shoulders moved up. “I…”  
   
 Asahi blinked. “Ma’am?”  
   
 “Tooru…” Michimiya looked up at him. “He’s all I have left.” Her hand tightened its grip on her weapon. “If anything happens… Leave it to me, Azumane. I’ll have my eyes open. He’s all I have.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “What the fuck is that?” Iwaizumi squinted as he looked at the T.V.  
   
 After showering, and painting their nails, they had argued about what to do next. Oikawa offered video games, and Iwaizumi looked at his collection but decided he wanted to watch Oikawa play. Oikawa didn’t get the whole watching people play thing, but whatever. He had situated himself, firmly, in Iwaizumi’s lap as he played. “It’s my boyfriend.” Oikawa’s face was fierce as he mashed all the buttons, stringing together dramatic combos. “Don’t be jealous.”  
   
 Iwaizumi snorted. “It’s a plant, with four heads. It’s ugly as fuck.”  
   
 “But it’s called the _Manhandla_ and _damn I wanna get manhandled,_ if you know what I mean. Wink wink.”  
   
 “You’re such a loser, Tooru.”  
   
 “You’re just jealous because I—BEAT ITS ASSHOLE, ZELDA!” Oikawa began yelling, moving the controller vigorously around as if that would help. “COME ON! FUCK YEAH! HYRULE QUEEN ALL THE WAY! – you’re just jealous because you wish you could manhandle me. I know it. You don’t have to hide it.”  
   
 “Mhm.” Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow but said no more.  
   
 “You know I told you I like getting smacked around, unf.”  
   
 “Is that why it took you like thirty minutes to kill that boss?”  
   
 “Hey, shut the fuck up. I’m not used to her Dominion Rod. Her rapier’s where it’s at, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “If you say so.”  
   
 “You know what?” Oikawa looked up so he rested his head on Iwaizumi’s shoulder, looking at him. “Maybe I’m gonna manhandle you.”  
   
 Iwaizumi smirked… “Go for it.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Akaashi and Bokuto were silent as they watched the city below. They were both breathing heavy. Akaashi’s scythe had lost its sharpness after its hundredth kill, but it would sharpen on its own with a bit of rest. Bokuto was doing hand exercises, open-close, open-close, as he waited for the next wave. Bokuto sighed, dramatically, and looked up to the night sky.  
   
 Akaashi hummed thoughtfully. “Koutarou,” he whispered, “Something feels wrong.”  
   
 “Yeah.” Bokuto nodded. “I feel it too, Keiji.”  
   
 “What it is it, then?”  
   
 “I don’t know,” he admitted. “Why would I?”  
   
 Akaashi glanced at him, then away. “You always have answers when I don’t.”  
   
 Bokuto blinked. “Huh? Me? But you’re the smart one.”  
   
 Akaashi smiled, a small one, but sighed. “I just, feel… Never mind, please. Forget I said anything.”  
   
 “Nah.” Bokuto took his free hand. “Tell me. What is it?”  
   
 Akaashi turned to him. “You…” He bit his lip. “I’m the kind of person that covers my own back. I’m self-sufficient, and I will never need anyone. That’s what I was taught. But, I don’t know… I feel like you have my back, even when I don’t. Now’s a time, where… I don’t feel very certain of myself, or my abilities. I would like you to have my back now, I suppose.”  
   
 Bokuto grinned. “I’ve got it, don’t worry.” He let go of Akaashi’s hand to pat his shoulder. “And it’s a very nice back too.”  
   
 “Koutarou.”  
   
 Bokuto snickered. He crossed his arms and looked back down at the city, watching more Dark rise up. “I don’t know, Keiji… The best thing we can do is stay vigilant, and not overlook anything. That’s what you said to me this morning. The monsters… they seem steady, you know?”  
   
 Akaashi’s eyes widened. “Of course.” He bit his lip. “How could I have overlooked that?”  
   
 “Huh?”  
   
 “That shouldn’t be so.” Akaashi shook his head. “If we were nearing the Reversal, the monsters would be coming at a heavier rate, or at a disruptive rate, not the steady one.”  
   
 Bokuto hummed. “But why? We’re out here punching them. Maybe we don’t notice.”  
   
 “No, no.” Akaashi shook his head. “Koutarou, that’s just it.” He winced. “Skirt, Blade, Staff, Rod, Fox, myself, you, Kenma – and with the recent purification of Kageyama Tobio, and with the constant purification of Corpse… Do you understand? There are too many Lights in this Sector…”  
   
 “You’re saying that’s the plan?” Bokuto’s eyes widened. “You mean, like… That breaks the balance.”  
   
 Akaashi eyed him. “Balance?”  
   
 “A Reversal happens when there’s too much Dark, much more than the Light. Because Sectin can measure the amount of Dark in each Sector, they think there’s no way there can be a Reversal. Because there’s not enough Dark. But violin violin works too!”  
   
 Akaashi blinked. “What?”  
   
 “Violin violin!” Bokuto repeated. “When it’s like, one way or the other, y’know?”  
   
 “Vice versa?”  
   
 “Yeah, that! Violin violin!”  
   
 Akaashi’s lips tugged into a smile, but realisation hit him. “So Kuroo wants to bring a Reversal…”  
   
 Bokuto nodded. “From too much Light.”  
   
 Akaashi’s eyes narrowed. “Even if it doesn’t cause a Reversal, there must be a flood of Dark that is being held back… If he were to release it all at once.”  
   
 “He’s using us.” Bokuto bit his lip. “He’s been waiting for us to gather, to come together, waiting for us to all be on the same side…”  
   
 “So he can steal the Dark that would attack our greater force.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 They crashed onto the bed, Oikawa shoving Iwaizumi down. Their bodies pressed against each other, lips locked with the exception of when they broke for air. There were deep grinds against each other, movements, and rhythm. Iwaizumi tried to raise his back, but Oikawa grabbed his shoulders and pushed him down onto the mattress. Iwaizumi was hard, to say the least. Yeah, he loved his pretty boy boyfriend, but Oikawa being _dominant_ and _aggressive_ was so refreshing and exciting that it thrilled him beyond his own understanding.  
   
 It was fucking hot.  
   
 Oikawa grabbed Iwaizumi’s throat as he kissed him, moving his hand up to feel his jaw, possessive, and then down to his chest. He broke the kiss and nipped at Iwaizumi’s jawline. “You don’t mind me being on top?”  
   
 “Why would I?”  
   
 Oikawa paused, for a moment, with a strange look. “I don’t know.”  
   
 Iwaizumi knew this was one of those moments, one of the few times Oikawa’s insecurities were shining through. “How do you want to do this?”  
   
 “I’ve got a strap-on, the double sided one.”  
   
 “Ooooo.”  
   
 “Ooooo?”  
   
 “Shut up.” Iwaizumi scoffed. “Just, whatever.”  
   
 Their clothes were thrown aside.  
   
 Iwaizumi sat cross-legged, with Oikawa on his knees in front of him. They kissed as Oikawa grabbed his cock, stroking it, moving the foreskin up and down, over the head and back down, over the head and back down, a rhythm, while Iwaizumi’s hand cupped Oikawa’s crotch, two fingers deep in his pussy, fingering near the top at the spot Oikawa loved, thumb on his clit.  
   
 Oikawa broke the kiss. “Yay it’s my cunt!”  
   
 “Yay! It’s your cunt!”  
   
 “Yay!” Oikawa wagged the strap-on. “It’s _mah dick._ ”  
   
 Iwaizumi snorted and kissed him. “You fucking sexy moron. You’re good with your hands, you know?”  
   
 “You’re not bad yourself.”  
   
 “Enough experience to beat the Manhandla?”  
   
 “Oh yeah, all four of his pussies.”  
   
 “What the fuck are you talking about?”  
   
 “I have no idea.” He laughed and kissed him again. “Take your fingers out.” He wagged the strap-on again.  
   
 “Can I put it in?” asked Iwaizumi, curiosity glowing on his face.  
   
 “Sure.”  
   
 Iwaizumi took it, playfully looking at it. There was one side that was more ribbed; he assumed that was the side for Oikawa. He playfully rubbed the plastic against Oikawa, rubbing up and down the lips, moving in a little circle around the hole. The internal side, for Oikawa, was smaller and bright purple. Iwaizumi also noticed little bumps at the end, which he assumed would rub up against Oikawa’s clit.  
   
 “Hajime.”  
   
 “Sorry.” Iwaizumi hid his smile as he pushed it in, slowly, eyes locked on Oikawa. He looked to see any signs of pain or discomfort, but instead he was rewarded with a playful gasp and Oikawa’s big brown eyes going wide. He pushed in, slowly, teasing by moving out and back in a few times, until he pressed in fully. “That feel good?”  
   
 “Mhm.” Oikawa smiled, cheeks warm. He strapped the toy on; it had two straps, one going around his waist, and one down and up between the legs. He adjusted it a little then wagged the external side around, which was tan and about six inches; the movement made the other side wiggle inside him.  
   
 Iwaizumi reached into Oikawa’s sex toy drawer, pulling out anal lube.  
   
 Oikawa snatched it out of his hand and smeared some on his fingers. He pushed Iwaizumi onto his back and slipped a finger inside.  
   
 Iwaizumi gasped, knees wiggling in the air while his heels were firmly planted. Iwaizumi kept his body relaxed, breathing evenly. He wasn’t inexperienced in this, but doing it with Oikawa made his heart beat a little faster.  
   
 Oikawa took his time, not moving too quickly. He moved until the knuckle hit the entrance. He pulled out then pushed in with two fingers, hand slow and steady.  
   
 Iwaizumi teased by squeezing on it.  
   
 Oikawa smirked. He teased back by doing a ‘come here’ motion.  
   
 Iwaizumi gasped, squirming a bit. “You can add a third.”  
   
 “Mmm, don’t rush me Hajime.”  
   
 “I hate you.”  
   
 Oikawa kissed him, but complied by adding a third finger.  
   
 Iwaizumi closed his eyes, jerking his hips when Oikawa found a certain spot; he gasped.  
   
 “Ah, Iwa-chan makes so much noise when he’s a bottom.”  
   
 “Tooru?”  
   
 “Yes?”  
   
 “Shut up.”  
   
 Oikawa chuckled. He pulled his fingers out.  
   
 Oikawa added some of the lube to his strap-on and looked at Iwaizumi. “Ready?”  
   
 “Yeah.”  
   
 Oikawa positioned the toy against Iwaizumi and pushed in, slowly. He listened to Iwaizumi’s breathing, the way it rode out in little waves, like hitting road blocks, until he was completely sheathed. The other end of the toy rubbed deep inside him, making him even wetter. He pushed deeper against Iwaizumi’s ass and smirked, leaning down to kiss him.  
   
 Iwaizumi kissed back and grabbed his cock, stroking it.  
   
 “This is a pretty nice view, Hajime.”  
   
 “Yeah?” Iwaizumi smirked. “I got a pretty nice view from here too.”  
   
 Oikawa matched his smirk and pulled out, slowly, then back in.  
   
 Iwaizumi took a deep breath as Oikawa pulled out.  
   
 Oikawa pushed in again, a moan rolling off his tongue. He pulled back again, then bucked his hips forward.  
   
 Iwaizumi kept stroking himself again. “Faster.”  
   
 Oikawa’s hips continued to move, back and forth, hearing Iwaizumi’s moans and feeling the other side inside him rub him right.  
   
 “Tooru…”  
   
 Oikawa grunted as his thrusts became quicker. He watched Iwaizumi touch himself; the sight was mesmerising. He slapped the hand away and grabbed the cock himself, jerking him off in time with his thrusts, speeding up.  
   
 Iwaizumi let go, watching Oikawa both stroke and fuck him. His breathing became audible. Iwaizumi moved his head back, looking to the headboard as he let out a moan. His cock twitched in Oikawa’s soft, warm hand and he made another noise.  
   
 Oikawa leaned down, stealing a kiss, firm and rough, playfully giving Iwaizumi’s lower lip a scrape of teeth.  
   
 Iwaizumi smirked into the kiss, moving one hand to grab the back of Oikawa’s head, playing with his brown hair with pink highlights. So fucking pretty.  
   
 Oikawa moved to the side and dove into Iwaizumi’s neck, biting it playfully but dangerously – enough to leave a hickey – and licked up the skin, tasting that saltiness.  
   
 Iwaizumi shivered. The feeling of being fucked, jerked off, and now bitten made his toes curl. His other hand reached to the side, fisting the bed sheets. He wanted more. He moved his legs around Oikawa’s waist, pulling him closer with every thrust, feeling the strap-on move deep inside him.  
   
 A little noise left Oikawa’s mouth as he began speeding up, as did his hands.  
   
 Iwaizumi looked at Oikawa, on top of him, dominant, in control, aggressive. He smirked.  
   
 Oikawa couldn’t help but kiss that smirk. “Feel good?”  
   
 “Yeah,” Iwaizumi said in a breathy voice. “More,” he whispered.  
   
 Oikawa kissed him again and began moving his hips faster. The rhythm broke as he whimpered into the kiss, breaking off as he gasped, body squeezing on the dildo inside him.  
   
 “Did you just cum?”  
   
 “Yeah, but look I stay hard.”  
   
 Iwaizumi snorted. “Shut up.”  
   
 Oikawa didn’t slow down, besides his orgasm. “You love me.”  
   
 “Of course I do—but less talking, more fucking.”  
   
 Oikawa smirked and kept going.  
   
 Iwaizumi replaced Oikawa’s hand on his cock and began jerking himself off.  
   
 Oikawa put his hands firmly on the bed, getting at an angle that was good for both of them. His hips rocked back and forth, fluidly.  
   
 Iwaizumi felt goose bumps race along his skin. He grunted, stroking himself faster. He felt it move deep inside him and it made him shiver, in the very best way. “Fuck, just like that.”  
   
 Oikawa continued the motion. His brown eyes scanned Iwaizumi’s body, eating up every detail he could. The skin, the muscles, the everything—his eyes dipped down to Iwaizumi’s cock, fascinated by watching him touch himself now, fascinated by the way his hand and cock moved. He felt his cunt quiver, tightening up against the side inside him.  
   
 Iwaizumi started making these little pants, quiet at first but they became more and more audible as they went on.  
   
 Oikawa decided he needed to hear those.  
   
 “Fuck, Tooru…” The name spilled off his lips so easily, “Tooru…”  
   
 Hearing his name in Iwaizumi’s hot, heavy voice made him shiver.  
   
 Iwaizumi looked up, staring at Oikawa’s face, watching that calm cool intensity that he’d never seen before. It was beautiful and passionate and it made Iwaizumi gasp. He grunted, feeling it build up. “Tooru,” he whispered and began stroking faster. “Fuck!” His toes curled as he shot his load, hot white, all over his chest.  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes were wide, taking in the sight; he moved his hips even faster. Still, he couldn’t help but tease. “Good guys finish last, Hajime.”  
   
 “Just shut up and fuck me.”  
   
 “Ooo, you’re so angry, Iwa-chan.” Oikawa grinned. “It’s so hot, fuck.” He rocked the toy in a way that rubbed it against his clit and G simultaneously, repeating the motion over and over, gasping. “Hajime.”  
   
 “Come on,” whispered Iwaizumi, smirking. “Cum for me.”  
   
 Oikawa’s cheeks flushed and he took in a deep breath. He whimpered, knees wiggling, thighs shaking. He came again, and rode it out with a deep thrust into Iwaizumi. He threw his head back and took in a huge gulp of air, before letting it out slowly.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Daichi’s fingers intertwined with those of the sleeping body lying on the hospital bed. He had tried, hard, not to cry at school, not to cry at home, not to cry in front of others. But when it was just him and Suga, he let it out. He had let it out until he felt better. He cried to the point he actually bought a bottle of water because he could hear the volleyball coach’s voice telling him to stay hydrated. He felt better, though, holding Suga’s hand. That much, even if it wasn’t much, was more than he could ask for, more than he could realistically get from life now.  
   
 “Excuse me,” said one of the nurses, “Visiting hours are over…”  
   
 Daichi avoided the look of pity and nodded, thanking them. He took his stuff and left the room. When he stepped out of the hospital room, he noticed someone else standing there, looking through the windowed wall at Suga. Daichi blinked. The person looked at him. Daichi cleared his throat. “It’s, Ushijima-san, right?”  
   
 Ushijima nodded. “Daichi, yes?”  
   
 “Yeah.” Daichi looked through the window at him, Suga. He cleared his throat. He turned back to Ushijima. “Only one visitor at a time… I didn’t realise someone else was waiting for a turn…”  
   
 “The nurse offered to tell you for me. I declined.” Ushijima’s eyes didn’t leave Suga’s form. “I can see him from here… That’s enough for me, I suppose.”  
   
 Daichi gave a lopsided smile. “It’s hard…” He took a deep breath. “They have no idea when, or even if he’s going to wake up… at all.”  
   
 “It hasn’t been that long yet,” reminded Ushijima. “From what the hospital staff has told me, which I assume is highly simplified, they can only confirm that someone will not wake up after a long time has passed. Although it is unknown, there is still a heavy chance he may wake up.”  
   
 Daichi sighed. “You’re right.” He pulled out his phone.  
   
 “Are you looking for directions home?”  
   
 “No, no.” Daichi scrolled his phone. “I memorised it by now, I just…” He scrolled through all the text messages from Sugawara. “All of his stupid train noises…” Daichi’s eyes became misty. “I miss him. I miss _talking_ to him, being with him.” He looked at Sugawara again, sighing.  
   
 “You’re rather strong for staying with him. Most people leave when the good times are over.”  
   
 “It hasn’t been that long,” Daichi parroted his words earlier.  
   
 “I don’t believe it works quite the same.”  
   
 Daichi laughed, his first real laugh in a while. “I just… I don’t know. I have to… think positive, or something.”  
   
 “It’s hard,” murmured Ushijima. “No one’s saying it isn’t. But it’s worth a try.”  
   
 “Yeah.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Their breathing was in sync, Iwaizumi and Oikawa, chests rising and falling, in rhythm, in rhythm. They were on their backs, looking up at the ceiling, shoulders touching, arms touching, chests rising and falling, in rhythm, in rhythm.  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled. “That was hot.”  
   
 “Yeah?” purred Oikawa.  
   
 “Oh yeah.”  
   
 Oikawa rolled over and nuzzled at his cheek.  
   
 Iwaizumi kissed his cheek. “You can totally fuck me whenever you want.”  
   
 Oikawa laughed.  
   
 “What?”  
   
 “I don’t know… I guess it’s like…”  
   
 “Say it.”  
   
 “One of my boyfriends.” Oikawa winced. “He said it’s not real if it’s a strapon.” Oikawa shrugged.  
   
 “What a loser.” Iwaizumi kissed him. “That was awesome.”  
   
 “Yeah?”  
   
 “Tooru, you fucking idiot… When will you realise everything about you is awesome? You idiot.”  
   
 “Iwa-chan’s sweet.”  
   
 “Toto-chan’s stupid, as fuck.”  
   
 Oikawa cackled, loud and unattractive.  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled. “I love you. Come here.”  
   
 Oikawa kissed him and moved closer. Their arms moved around each other. “Mmmm, call me Toto-chan again.”  
   
 “Nope.” Iwaizumi smirked. “Only nickname I’m using is Prince.”  
   
 “Ugh. I hate that nickname!”  
   
 “Yeah right.”  
   
 Oikawa grinned. “Okay, you got me. It makes my heart go doki-doki long time.”  
   
 “Shut up,” murmured Iwaizumi just before they kissed again.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Akiteru had finished powering up the defence ward when he heard footsteps behind him. He didn’t need to ask who it was. Kageyama and Yamaguchi had gone to bed (cuddled up next to each other), and he noticed his little brother was all snuggled up with Hinata pressed into his chest (it was so cute!). Akiteru turned around and offered a smile. “Can I make you a cup of tea?”  
   
 Kiyoko stood by the doorway. “I’m alright. How are you?”  
   
 “Me?” Akiteru hummed as he looked up. “I don’t know.”  
   
 Kiyoko tilted her head.  
   
 “I don’t know… It’s just, all really sudden, I think.” Akiteru smiled sadly. “The way everything, everything was going good, going fine… Then Blade came, then Angel came… And Iwaizumi-kun and Tooru, they’re good now, but… it just, so quickly, everything went to shit. Tadashi might not make it… Sugawara-kun is in the hospital… I just, I want to go back. Back to the good days, back to when everything was fine, before all of… this.”  
   
 Kiyoko’s eyes softened. “I feel the same way.”  
   
 “Do you think, maybe, maybe one day…” Akiteru sighed. “Do you think we could go back to the happy days?”  
   
 “I think only a fool would think so.”  
   
 “Hm… you’re right.”  
   
 Kiyoko tucked hair behind her ear, thinking of Bokuto, and Hinata, and Oikawa. “But, fools aren’t always wrong.” She offered a rare smile, and watched Akiteru’s eyes light up.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Oikawa felt warm and safe as he slept. He didn’t know how many hours had passed, but eventually he felt Iwaizumi get up. He thought nothing of it, knowing Iwaizumi was probably going to the bathroom or getting a glass of water. The bed felt cold after a while. He opened his eyes, seeing nothing but darkness. He raised his head. Softly, “Hajime?”  
   
 Oikawa reached out, feeling where Iwaizumi had been.  
   
 It was cold; he had been gone for some time.  
   
 He moved his hands, until he felt something.  
   
 Paper.  
   
 Oikawa turned on his lamp on the lower light level, but he still had to shield his eyes a bit. After a moment, he looked at the letter. He knew, right away, it wasn’t Iwaizumi’s handwriting, but it was a familiar one.  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes widened.  
   
  _I have him. He will die by sunrise. Your move, Oikawa Tooru.  
 -Kuroo Tetsurou_


	37. ———

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooooooooooooboy. Seven days late, LOL, but I'm really happy with how this chapter turned out. Just a note, it's about 12k, so get yourself a glass of water, do a little stretch, and get comfortable. Remember to stay hydrated, take your meds, and make good choices. Or something. Anyway, I really honestly hope you enjoy this chapter. I slaved over it to make the best it could be, hehe, and I'm happy with the result!
> 
> * * *

“Wake up,” Oikawa hissed as he shoved them, “Wake the fuck up.”  
   
 Hinata jolted up. “O-Oikawa-s-senpai?”  
   
 Tsukishima blinked twice and rubbed his eyes.  
   
 “Wake up.” Oikawa’s face, though it was hard to see in the dark, was tightened up. “Now.”  
   
 Hinata blinked. “What’s, what’s going on Senpai?”  
   
 “We have an emergency.”  
   
 At another day, another time, Oikawa would have probably given his kouhai a super big thumbs up with a few winks for snuggling up next to the boy he liked, but the contents of the letter were heavy on his mind. Iwaizumi would die. Oikawa had no doubt in his mind Kuroo would go through with what he said. The letter. That handwriting. He raced through the temple, telling everyone to go to the courtyard.  
   
 Kenma had arrived as fast he could.  
   
 Kageyama and Yamaguchi were both in their pyjamas, wearing borrowed sandals as they stepped out, looking at him.  
   
 Hinata had a hand cupping Tsukishima’s elbow, leaning on him, next to Kiyoko and Akiteru.  
   
 The courtyard was frosty with night air, but Oikawa turned to see them all. He counted, both Tsukishimas, Hinata, Akaashi, Bokuto, Kenma, Kageyama, Yamaguchi, Kiyoko. With himself, “Ten,” he said. “Ten of us.”  
   
 Tsukishima’s eyes narrowed. “Where’s Iwaizumi?”  
   
 Oikawa looked at him. “Taken.”  
   
 Hinata blinked. “Taken?”  
   
 Kenma’s eyes narrowed. “Kuroo…”  
   
 Oikawa snapped his head towards him. “Kenma.” His eyes narrowed. “There’s something you’re not telling me.”  
   
 An odd silence washed over them as a breeze blew over.  
   
 Kiyoko adjusted her glasses. “We need to focus,” she said softly. “I can feel something coming.”  
   
 Akaashi cleared his throat. “Bokuto and I have to report… we thought we could wait until morning, but…”  
   
 “Ten,” repeated Bokuto. “Tooru said there’s ten of us, right? If we’re all Lights, and we’re gathered here – eleven with Iwaizumi…”  
   
 Akaashi took a tentative breath. “Strong Lights summon strong Darks…”  
   
 “That was his plan.” Kenma’s bit his lip, putting his hand to his chin. “We will need to designate who fights Kuroo head-on, and who will support. There will be monsters, large ones, no doubt…”  
   
 Oikawa nodded. “I’ll take Kuroo. I’m getting my boyfriend back.”  
   
 Tsukishima nodded. “I’ll assist.”  
   
 “No.” Oikawa turned to him. “I need you and Akiteru to do something here.”  
   
 “What?” Tsukishima’s eyes narrowed. “Why now?”  
   
 “Tooru,” said Akiteru, “That’s not wise… if we do some kind of ritual under these circumstances, it’ll attract the Dark.”  
   
 “Shit.” Oikawa glanced to Kageyama and Yamaguchi. “You two will have to stay here too, and neither of you can fight.”  
   
 Yamaguchi straightened his spine. “I—”  
   
 “No.”  
   
 Yamaguchi deflated.  
   
 Oikawa shook his head. “If you expose yourself now, he’ll eat you up… you’ll become another monster we will have to take down. It probably isn’t far-fetched to say that’s what he wants.”  
   
 “I… right.” Yamaguchi lowered his head. “Sorry…”  
   
 Oikawa glanced to the side. “Shouyou.”  
   
 Hinata nodded. “I’ll come with you!”  
   
 Oikawa smiled, but it was strained.  
   
 Hinata’s eyes began to shake. “Still?” His hands squeezed into fists. “I’m still not good enough… to be by your side? I’m still not good enough to be your teammate? Still. I’m _still_ too weak?”  
   
 “No—it’s not that.” Oikawa walked over and clasped his hands on his shoulders. “Listen to me, Shouyou. These lives—Kei, Akiteru, Tobio-chan, Yama-chan… Someone has to protect them. And I can’t. I’m not enough… It’s _because_ I trust you that I’m leaving this _entirely_ in your hands, okay?”  
   
 Hinata gasped sharply, and nodded twice.  
   
 Oikawa smiled, and moved away. “Kiyoko.”  
   
 “I’ll move as I please.” Kiyoko tucked some hair behind her ear. “The Dark are not attracted to me… I’ll see what I can do.”  
   
 “Alright.” Oikawa turned to Kenma’s squad. “That leaves us to deal with the offense.”  
   
 Bokuto nodded, Akaashi raised his chin, but Kenma didn’t react – he just kept staring Oikawa dead in the eye.  
   
 “We have to decide who fights Kuroo,” explained Oikawa, not looking away from Kenma, “And who fights the monsters.”  
   
 “I…” Kenma’s eyes darkened. “I’ll kill him… I have to. There’s no point making such a formality out of it. You and I will deal with Kuroo Tetsuro.”  
   
 “Alright.”  
   
 Bokuto slammed his fists together. “Then leave the monsters to Keiji and me.”  
   
 Akaashi nodded. “We’ll be more than enough.”  
   
 Oikawa opened his mouth—  
   
 But the sky darkened, all at once, normal grey clouds turning Dark and black. There was a sound, like a roar, like a blast of thunder, and it was time. A hole opened in the sky, clouds swirling together like a storm, an upward typhoon. The Dark arrived, coming in floods, dropping into the city. Big ones, small ones, all ready to kill. Black wind began to shoot outwards, enough to snap phone lines and throw streetlights in different directions.  
   
 Explosions occurred all around them, all over the city.  
   
 Oikawa wasted no time, “Go!” he yelled. “I’ll be there soon!”  
   
 Bokuto and Akaashi wasted no time, warping away as darkness elemental did, while Kenma dissolved into cords, shooting towards the epicentre of the storm.  
   
 Oikawa turned around. “Shouyou, guard the gate. There’s only one way up, and it’s up these stairs. There’s a lot of steps, so it might tire them, but they’ll be an endless flood, and they’ll be here, coming for you. They will do anything to stop the ritual.”  
   
 Hinata’s eyes hardened. With a flash of fire he became Fox. “I’m ready.”  
   
 “You guys,” Oikawa said as he turned to the Tsukishima brothers. “Tobio-chan, you too.”  
   
 Kageyama blinked several times; he had been mostly focused on the hole in the sky, but he looked at Oikawa. “Me?”  
   
 “Yeah. I’ve got a plan… it’s going to take all of you, though. It’s a little silly, but—”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
  _But it’s all we got._  
   
 Oikawa transformed into Skirt, and he began flying towards the epicentre. He knew Kenma and the others might have already made it there. He bit his lip and surged forward. His skirt flailed in the wind. He looked down, looking at his outfit. He hated it, really. A skirt was a woman’s piece of clothing. People could say what they wanted about how ‘crossdressing’ isn’t a thing (and Oikawa didn’t think it should be) but that didn’t stop the social hierarchy of the world telling him otherwise. Still, he liked the feeling of his legs being free, and it helped with mobility.  
   
 Why? Why was he thinking of that now?  
   
 Those could be his last thoughts.  
   
 Monsters roared ahead.  
   
 He saw Kenma use his cords to slice a rather large one, as Bokuto slammed his fists into another, dissolving it instantly.  
   
 Oikawa landed on the rooftop and looked around. “Kenma.”  
   
 “He’s not here,” murmured Kenma.  
   
 “Not here? Why not?”  
   
 “Sorry. Let me clarify.” Kenma killed another beast. “He will be here. He likes to be… fashionably late.” Kenma waited until both Bokuto and Akaashi were busy before looking over his shoulder. “Tooru. Promise me something.”  
   
 “What is it?”  
   
 “Kill him. Finish him.” Kenma turned to face him. “Kill anyone you have to. Finish anyone you have to. Whether that’s Kuroo, or Iwaizumi, or Yamaguchi, or yourself… the life of a Dark is not compatible with the world we live in. I’m determined to kill him myself, but there is a chance… that I can’t do it.” Kenma’s eyes hardened. “End his suffering. End all of their suffering. Kuroo was… a nice person. He wouldn’t do this.”  
   
 There was a laugh.  
   
 Oikawa jaw tightened as he looked up.  
   
 A Dark charged at them, but it was different. It was larger than the others, more defined. Its skin was pristine, almost glowing with black light. It was in the form of a massive black cat – a panther. It landed on the rooftop, shattering the concrete top. The panther raised its head, giving a little devious smile.  
   
 Oikawa summoned his weapons, breath hitched.  
   
 Kenma summoned his cords.  
   
 The panther spoke slowly, voice distorted, as if it was speaking underwater: “Mew mew, Kenma…”  
   
 “Kuroo.” Kenma felt his throat tighten. “You look a little different.”  
   
 “Oh? You never used to crack jokes.”  
   
 “It’s how I deal with anxiety now.”  
   
 “Well, isn’t that fun?” Kuroo moved his hind legs back and began to purr. It moved back, raising its behind and lowering its head. “Don’t get me wrong, Kenma… I love you and all.” His panther lips smirked. “But you’re not invited.”  
   
 Kenma frowned. “What?”  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes widened. “Ken—”  
   
 Kuroo pounced, slamming his head straight into Kenma’s stomach with enough force that he heard two of Kenma’s ribs break. Kenma was thrown like a ragdoll several feet, over the edge of the building.  
   
 Oikawa turned and ran. “Kenma!”  
   
 But Kuroo lunged sideways.  
   
 Oikawa felt teeth sink into his glass wings and he screamed. The force of Kuroo’s panther body crashed against him as he twisted his body, shoving his rifle against Kuroo’s lower body, and fired.  
   
 Kuroo leapt off half a second before the shot, dodging.  
   
 Oikawa moved on his back, raising his legs, before he threw himself on his feet. His chainsaw revved up as he began charging energy in his rifle. “Come at me, bitch!”  
   
 Kuroo lunged.  
   
 Oikawa dodged and swung his chainsaw, aiming for Kuroo’s side, but he missed.  
   
 Kuroo landed in a spin, lunging again. He pounced on Oikawa, slamming his front legs into Oikawa’s back, which slammed Oikawa into the rooftop floor, and Kuroo jumped off. He turned, tail raised, swishing left and right. He lunged again, but—  
   
 Oikawa got up and smirked.  
   
 Cords spun around Kuroo, winding and tightening around him.  
   
 Oikawa roared as he charged, chainsaw raised and ready.  
   
 Akaashi dropped down on Kuroo’s side and spun his scythe, aiming to finish it in one hit.  
   
 But Kuroo growled and threw his head up, howling like a dog would.  
   
 Thunder.  
   
 It blasted down on him, destroying the cords just in time for him to dodge both strikes. He landed and glanced to the side.  
   
 “Come here, pussy!” yelled Bokuto as he swung his fist.  
   
 Kuroo dodged with a quick side step and spun his body, swinging his bladed tail to swat Bokuto away. Akaashi jumped in, but Kuroo parried scythe with tail, before head butting him with enough force to throw him away.  
   
 Kenma landed on the building, hand over his broken rib, wincing.  
   
 Oikawa aimed his rifle and fired.  
   
 But Kuroo dodged, then charged.  
   
 Oikawa dodged the lunge and parried a strike from the tail. When Kuroo went in for a bite, Oikawa jammed the side of his rifle into the panther’s mouth and let go of his weapon. He grabbed his chainsaw with both hands and it began to glow. He slashed Kuroo’s side.  
   
 Kuroo crunched the gun in his mouth and screamed, throwing the weapon aside. He began running in a circle around Oikawa and gained some distance, before lunging again.  
   
 The hit was head on, making Oikawa roll along the rooftop. He got up and charged, making a wide swing.  
   
 Kuroo back flipped and his body began to blur, changing from panther to human. Oikawa caught a glimpse of his face before his cross-shaped mask blasted wind to block his identity. He clapped his hands together and smirked.  
   
 Thunder.  
   
 Lightning shot downwards, forking out so one single lightning bolt broke into eighteen different beams, crashing against the rooftop, sending concrete flying everywhere.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Yamaguchi dropped to his knees, feeling something dark and sick inside him. He swallowed hard. It was a throbbing pain, a losing battle. A cold, acidic river. He shuddered and convulsed. “Ngh.” He raised his head, looking forward.  
   
 No matter how many dozens of monsters appeared, Hinata flipped and twirled, moving from one monster to another, tearing them apart with his claws. He shot firebolt after firebolt, slashed a slash after slash, dance after dance, tearing them apart, not letting a single one through.  
   
 Yamaguchi’s eyes softened.  
   
 A hand on his shoulder.  
   
 Yamaguchi yelped and covered his head with his hands.  
   
 “It’s me,” murmured Kageyama. “Tobio.”  
   
 Yamaguchi looked up. “Oh…”  
   
 “What’s wrong?”  
   
 “I’m scared.”  
   
 “Don’t be.” Kageyama kneeled down. He kissed Yamaguchi’s cheek.  
   
 “You…” He looked behind him, watching as Akiteru and Tsukishima were focusing. “You have to go back to the magic circle.”  
   
 “I have a bit of time before they need me.” Kageyama did his best to offer a smile. “We’ll be okay.”  
   
 Yamaguchi was pretty sure that was the scariest smile he’d ever seen, but it made him feel a little better.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Black wings shot out of Kuroo’s back, growing like a cellular disease, corrupt and unnatural. Kuroo opened his arms and smirked. “Hear, my choirs!”  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes widened.  
   
 Akaashi and Bokuto, who had never faced them before, were hit head on; Kenma, who knew what was happening, didn’t have the mobility to dodge.  
   
 But when the gates of light opened, Oikawa jumped over the beams and swung his chainsaw at Kuroo.  
   
 Kuroo raised his hand.  
   
 When the spinning blade hit Kuroo’s hand, the chainsaw stopped. Oikawa grunted. Kuroo smiled before swinging his hand to the side, throwing Oikawa away. He zoomed forward, aiming for Kenma. Gates of light lined the sky, blasting at the other three. Thunder raced down from the heavens. He would be undisturbed now. Cords fired at him, but a wave of the void, of darkness, blasted them away. Kenma, standing only fifteen steps in front of him, had his eyes filled with fear. He knew this would be it. But, sliding in between them.  
   
 “Give!” Oikawa skid along the ground. “Hajime!” He swung his glowing chainsaw. “Back!”  
   
 Kuroo’s diseased wings moved forward, blocking, locking the blade into his flesh. He smirked. “Or what, kid?”  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes widened, and he jumped back just in time.  
   
 Blades, Iwaizumi’s blades, began shooting forward at Kuroo’s command.  
   
 Oikawa swung his chainsaw several times, deflecting them midair, and landed.  
   
 Kuroo was about to fire more when tentacles of darkness grabbed his feet. He looked down, gasping. Several feet away Akaashi held his scythe up like a staff. Blurring between them, Bokuto did a leaping strike before slamming his fist right into Kuroo’s side. Akaashi made the tentacles let go, and it was Kuroo’s turn to go flying.  
   
 Kuroo hit the ground, bounced, and hit it again before rolling. He forced himself up and growled. “Don’t fucking interfere.” He put a hand up and the sky opened wider. Two streams of Dark, like tornados, whirled down from the sky and crashed against the city. “Hagfish!” he called out, “Hypnotoad!”  
   
 The ground ruptured like an earthquake.  
   
 The first one was a long monster, easily filling up a whole street. It had no eyes, but it had a large, circular mouth filled to the brim with teeth. It moved, crushing cars and people under its body. The second one was a toad, large and looming, with big purple eyes, sitting rather contently before blasting a purple blast.  
   
 Akaashi swallowed hard. “The city will be destroyed if we allow them to roam.”  
   
 Bokuto turned to Oikawa. “But we can’t leave you tw—”  
   
 “Go.” Oikawa nodded slowly. “This is what we promised, wasn’t it? We’ll take care of Kuroo, you take care of the monsters.”  
   
 “But.” Akaashi’s eyes watered. “With the state Kenma’s in…”  
   
 “Go,” whispered Kenma. “That’s an order, from your superior.”  
   
 Akaashi’s eyes narrowed and he looked at Bokuto, then to Kuroo. “I guess I’ll just have to destroy your plaything fast enough to tear you apart.”  
   
 “Ha!” Kuroo snarked a laugh. “You’re Keiji aren’t you? The youngest Akaashi.”  
   
 “That I am, yes.”  
   
 “Didn’t know an Akaashi could talk like that.”  
   
 “Well.” Bokuto smirked. “We don’t give up easy.”  
   
 Kuroo raised an eyebrow. “Who are you?”  
   
 “Ugh…” Bokuto visibly deflated.  
   
 Akaashi smirked. “His name’s Bokuto, and he’ll give you a reason to remember it when your monsters are taken care of.”  
   
 Bokuto matched Akaashi’s smirk before they split off, jumping off the building.  
   
 The hagfish charged down the street, but Bokuto dropped down in front of it. Bokuto charged and roared, slamming his fist into its flesh and throwing it back several kilometres. “Hey heyy heeeyyyy!” Bokuto threw his hands in the air, making victory signs. “I’m gonna have fun beating you up!”  
   
 On the other side, the toad opened its mouth and blasted a purple beam that carved a semicircle down the road. Akaashi, however, swung his scythe. “Your magical attacks will have no effect on me.”  
   
 Back up top, Kuroo smirked. “That should keep them out of it.”  
   
 Cords shot out at him.  
   
 “Oh Kenma.” Kuroo’s image flickered and he appeared behind Kenma. He reached around, grabbing Kenma’s throat. He held the smaller figure against him, so Kenma’s back was to his chest. Kenma squirmed and tried to scream, but Kuroo’s hand slowly tightened around him. His disfigured wings moved around Kenma and Kuroo smiled. “Shoot me, Tooru.” He grinned. “If you think you won’t hit your little Kenma-cat.”  
   
 Oikawa’s rifle was held up, but his finger shook around the trigger – unable to fire.  
   
 “I heard you had a big mouth, said a lot of dumb shit when you fought… nothing now?”  
   
 Oikawa swallowed hard, rifle shaking from his unsteady hand.  
   
 Kenma opened his eyes, hissing out a strained, “Shoot.”  
   
 “Shoot,” Kuroo agreed. “Try not to miss.”  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes narrowed. “Stop it,” he whispered. “He’s your friend… isn’t he?”  
   
 “Of all the rhetoric… you went with the cliché. Oh well.” Kuroo threw Kenma upwards. Kuroo’s form disfigured, twisting until it became a giant wolf head. It bit down on Kenma’s body, making him scream.  
   
 Oikawa gasped.  
   
 Kuroo’s form twisted again, into a blur, like black liquid swirling. Kuroo’s body appeared and he smirked. “Watch.” He looked Oikawa dead in the eye. “Watch him die.”  
   
 Oikawa fired several shots.  
   
 But gates of light opened, deflecting his bullets.  
   
 “Kenma!”  
   
 Kuroo snapped his finger.  
   
 And Kenma screamed.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Screaming, screaming… Sugawara Koushi’s body was convulsing, pulsating; like a seizure, the epileptic movements were violent as he screamed. He put a hand to his chest, screaming. He felt like he was glowing. He thrashed in his hospital bed, screaming louder than humanly possible. He heard footsteps, people running down the hall. But he didn’t know why; he didn’t know anything.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Although Kenma hung midair, held up by the darkness, his body went limp.  
   
 Blood raced down from his mouth to his leather dress shoes.  
   
 Kuroo grabbed the back of Kenma’s collar, like the way a mother cat does to her kittens. And, playfully, he tossed him over the edge of the building.  
   
 Oikawa jumped after him. _Kuroo, damn you!_ He narrowed his body, eliminating wind resistance as he reached for Kenma’s body. Grabbing Kenma’s shirt, he held him close and spread his wings.  
   
 “Where you going?” Kuroo followed after him, smirk plastered on his face.  
   
 Oikawa turned around, midair, and glared at him. “Fuck you!” he yelled, “He was your friend—he _loved_ you, Kuroo! He gave you his heart!” He back flipped landing on a street. He jumped back as Kuroo crashed in front of him. “You’re just like my mom…” His core began to glow as did his wings. He held Kenma’s limp body carefully as Oikawa began to glow. “You’re just like her…” He closed his eyes, shutting them tight. Rings of light began to spin around him and the earth below him began to shake.  
   
 Kuroo’s eyes narrowed. “What the fuck are you doing now, kid?”  
   
 Oikawa felt something, something new. A power. Something new, unlocked, achieved. He took a deep breath and aimed his hand forward.  
   
 Kuroo’s eyes widened. “Oh. Shi—”  
   
 It was a beam of pure light, an energy unlike any other, but there was something about it. It was alive. It was like a snake, a huge snake, but it launched itself at Kuroo and snapped its jaws over him. The snake was made of white fire, and after biting it convulsed on Kuroo and exploded.  
   
 Oikawa blinked. “What was—”  
   
 “Tooru.”  
   
 Oikawa looked to the side.  
   
 Kiyoko adjusted her glasses. “Allow me to tend to Kenma-san.”  
   
 “Huh? Oh. Uh, sure…”  
   
 Kiyoko took the limp form. “Kenma can still be saved, and Kuroo isn’t dead yet.”  
   
 “We’ve got work to do, is what you’re saying.” Oikawa looked at her and nodded. “Thanks, Ki-chan.”  
   
 Kiyoko nodded. “Go.”  
   
 Several streets away, Kuroo was trying to retreat. His samurai cloth had been burned in several places. His mask had been chipped and cracked. His wings were gone, only a stump of his right one left. His breathing was heavy. He swallowed hard. He looked over his shoulder.  
   
 Oikawa Tooru.  
   
 Kuroo eyed him. “You’re glowing, Kid.”  
   
 Oikawa blinked. He looked at his body. He was. “What’s this?”  
   
 “You’re almost there.” Kuroo smiled, an honest smile. “You’ve almost got it All.”  
   
 “What?”  
   
 “Nothing.” Kuroo raised his hand. Black glass shot out of his hand, taking the form of a gladius. He swung it once. “Come on, kid.”  
   
 Oikawa growled and threw himself forward. He threw away his rifle, focusing on his chainsaw. Chainsaw hit gladius, over and over, over and over, sparks flying. Oikawa roared and twisted his body. _Just like mom,_ Oikawa screamed as he spun, _He lost it all, and now he’s hurting people he loved…_ His scream echoed into the night as his attack almost connected. _Death, is kinder._ He slashed through Kuroo, spraying blood outwards and shattering his mask in one strike.  
   
 Kuroo was thrown back with force. He back flipped, summoning new demented wings. He threw himself upwards, flying into the sky. “You want Iwaizumi?” he called out. “Then come get him.” He opened his hand and aimed to the sky.  
   
 Oikawa covered his eyes.  
   
 Light.  
   
 It was a perfect sphere, in the sky, as large as the moon, shining bright and brilliant.  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes slowly adjusted and he looked.  
   
 The haunted sphere was gentle to look at, despite its incredible brightness. It sounded like choirs, like angels, like sanctuaries and cathedrals.  
   
 Oikawa looked at Kuroo, who was flying towards it. He couldn’t see his face now, but he growled, knowing what he had to do. “With this much Light… he’ll summon even greater Dark…”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Hinata’s stamina wasn’t unlimited. He slashed and slashed, sweating and panting, fighting and fighting, jumping and leaping. He moved back and sent out a volley of firebolts. His eyes widened. “Flyers!”  
   
 Those with wings soared from different directions, launching right at the magic circles.  
   
 Hinata turned, knowing it was too late. “Kei!”  
   
  _Thunder._  
   
 Electricity crackled between Yamaguchi’s fingers. He swung his arms and thunder raced down, forking into different beams that eliminated those with wings. “I’ll take care of the flyers.”  
   
 Hinata gasped. “But Yama—”  
   
 “I!” yelled Yamaguchi. “I… want to protect them. I want to protect them too! I don’t want to be useless. I don’t care about the risk! I’m tired of being the only one not contributing!”  
   
 Hinata paused. He glanced at Yamaguchi, knowing Oikawa would never forgive him, but how could he say no – how could he say no, when he knew exactly what Yamaguchi must be feeling. He swallowed hard and gave a firm nod. “But if you feel the Dark coming over you—back out. That’s an order!”  
   
 Yamaguchi beamed and nodded. “Will do!”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Above the city, high in the clouds, the sphere of light was being swallowed by the vacuum of darkness. The Dark fell from the sky in hoards, crashing down by the hundreds. They began to merge into greater beings, funnelling through the streets and destroying them in the process. Waves of Dark, swallowing the city from the inside out.  
   
 Akaashi threw his scythe like a boomerang mid-backflip. When he landed, he erupted a wave of darkness in all directions. He raised his hand, catching his scythe, and turned to slice down a horrendous bird.  
   
 Bokuto punched the air, releasing a grand wave of energy that eliminated every monster on the entire street in front of him.  
   
 Hagfish and Hypnotoad had fallen, but it didn’t make a difference.  
   
 “Too many,” said Akaashi through heavy pants.  
   
 Bokuto gulped air. “Yeah!”  
   
 High up top, Kiyoko watched the city she knew as her home swallowed by Dark. She had stabilised Kenma, who was lying down on the roof of a short building as she watched.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “Hajime!” Oikawa yelled as he raced through the streets. He was jumping from streetlight to streetlight, slashing and firing at the flyers that tried to slow him down. He couldn’t even see the streets anymore. It almost looked like a black ocean had its sea levels rising the way the Dark were indistinguishable now. Oikawa kept his eyes on the orb of light, making his way towards it. He didn’t, however, notice that he had jumped on a certain streetlight and heard a familiar creak.  
   
 There was one streetlight everyone called ‘Creaky’ since it was extremely wobbly and made awful noises. Hinata, Tsukishima, Akiteru, and Oikawa had all made bets on how long it would take before it would—  
   
 It snapped.  
   
 Oikawa landed with such force that he had no way of throwing himself back up.  
   
 He cried out, then whispered, “No!”, knowing his fate.  
   
 The thousands of dark below looked up at him, opening their mouths, getting ready to bite him to pieces.  
   
 Oikawa froze as he fell, not knowing what to do.  
   
 His wings were too damaged to fly, and he was moving with too much momentum to change his trajectory.  
   
 Shit.  
   
 Sorry Hajime.  
   
 Oikawa closed his eyes, sinking down in the darkness.  
   
  _Tooru,_ came a soft voice. _Fake it until you make it._  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes opened.  
   
  _You were always there for me. I know we weren’t perfect… and I know I turned on you in the end._  
   
 Oikawa continued to fall.  
   
  _But I always knew you loved me. You’re not alone, Tooru. Remember that._  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes widened.  
   
  _If your wings can’t take you there, use mine. What else are best friends for, right?_  
   
 Gates of light opened.  
   
 Beams of pure photon blasted down all around him, exploding on contact with the dark. He closed his eyes. Oikawa screamed as the wind pushed him up. He was swallowed in pure light and he cradled his body, going in fetal form. He opened his eyes. The wind was a force, surging him upwards. He spread his wings as the wind launched him upwards. He flew straight towards the orb. The second his hand touched it, reality faded. It all faded.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 When he surged into the light, he expected a battle – he expected monsters and projectiles. But the light was… calm. Serene. Oikawa almost forgot where he was as he entered the orb. It was pristine white everywhere around him, almost endlessly, like another dimension. He was… calm. Oikawa closed his eyes. He felt like he was drifting, drifting. He was, finally, in his element. He was, finally, at peace with himself. He put a hand to his chest, feeling something… something strong. It was his heartbeat, calm but strong, resonating with life, beating with the songs of heaven and sounding like stardust.  
   
 “Have you ever wondered why it’s Light and Dark?”  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes snapped open. There was no floor, so he spun as if floating in space to look behind him. “Many times, yes.” Regardless of his interest, he remembered the Tsukishima magic circles would still need more time. He looked up, to Kuroo. Kuroo had put on a new mask, Oikawa noted.  
   
 “Light can be split into every colour that we can see. In a sense, Light is every colour. Darkness, obviously, is none. They’re polar opposites, and that’s why despite you being Lights some of you can be darkness elemental.”  
   
 “I see.” Oikawa cocked his head. “And the elementals, then?”  
   
 “The in-betweens. Water and ice are blue, fire is red, so on and so forth. Fox is like you, that’s why he’s higher on the spectrum. But those Tsukishima brothers are more like your boyfriend, and blue is a lower colour.”  
   
 “So?”  
   
 “Isn’t it fascinating to think about, though? A world where white is the absence of colour, like how blood is drained from a sick person’s face. The Reversal is destined to bring that forth.”  
   
 “So what’s your point?”  
   
 “Ever wonder why the world is this way?”  
   
 “Obviously—and you somehow have the answers, Kuroo?”  
   
 “Of course. It’s simple—it’s because this is how humans think. Black or white, Alls or Nones, do or do not. Humans are didactic: We have one choice or the other. Ever realise how, when presented with two opposite options, the idea of a ‘third choice’ that can satisfy both needs is seen as a game changer? It represents a higher level of thinking, and our urge as humans to break away from our primate ways.” Kuroo offered Oikawa a hand. “People, like you and me, are Alls. And some…” He motioned his hand to the side. “Are nothing.”  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes widened. “Hajime!”  
   
 In a cage of steel bars, Iwaizumi appeared to be unconscious. He was floating, still, head lowered.  
   
 “Ah, ah, ah,” Kuroo said as he wagged his finger. He moved a hand to his cross-shaped mask and slowly removed it. He descended, slowly, to Oikawa’s height. “It’s the first time, after all, that I really got to talk to you.” He tossed his mask aside, raising his head. His skin was grey, as if paled to the point of death.  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes widened.  
   
 “T-Tooru…”  
   
 Oikawa turned to the side. “Hajime!” He flew to the side, grabbing the bars. “Hey…”  
   
 Iwaizumi looked up, eyes heavy and weak. “How is everyone? The… city?”  
   
 “Well, it’s all kind of in the shits to be honest…”  
   
 “Kid,” called out Kuroo. “I’m the one you should be paying attention to.”  
   
 Oikawa let go of the bars and turned again. It hurt, to turn his back on Iwaizumi, but he knew that cage was magical and only a heavy attack would do anything to it. He took a deep breath and stared at Kuroo.  
   
 Kuroo pulled out his weapon, a spinning blade, a chainsaw.  
   
 Oikawa did the same.  
   
  _“That’s not true, Tara.” Michimiya sighed. “He does a lot of things. He sends us money, a lot of it y’know? And he gets you birthday gifts every year. And Christmas. Remember the dinosaur toy he got you? The stuffed one? Green?” She gave a teasing smile. “I think you know which one I’m talking about.”_  
   
 Kuroo’s smile wasn’t like the smirks he had given before: They were true, and warm. “I always wanted to see you, just once… at least once.” His hands gripped his weapon tight. “That kept me going, no matter what I lived through… no matter what I died through… I always wanted, just one chance… to meet my son.”  
   
 Oikawa swallowed hard. It hit him—like a knife—that Kuroo said ‘son’ so easily, with so much love, acceptance… everything Oikawa craved. Still, in his other hand he summoned his rifle. “Dad,” he said – and the word was strange, wrong on his tongue. No, not wrong, but strange. “Father,” he corrected, liking the lack of intimacy in that, the distance.  
   
 “You wouldn’t hurt your own parent, would you? You already lost one – do you want to lose another?”  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes widened. “I…”  
   
 “He wasn’t there!” yelled Iwaizumi through a damaged, raw throat. “Tooru… He’s hurting people…”  
   
 Oikawa turned to him, tears in his eyes. “I know, but—”  
   
 “Sugawara, Yamaguchi, Kageyama—even me!” Iwaizumi glared. He tried to break free from the chains holding him, and it rattled the cage, but it achieved nothing. “Kill him!”  
   
  _“Kill him. Finish him,” Kenma had said. “Kill anyone you have to. Finish anyone you have to.”_  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes widened and he turned back. “Kuroo,” he said – preferring that over anything else. “It was a wish of yours to see me, right?” He took a slow, deep breath. “Well, wish granted.” He took his stance, butterfly wings flaring up as his eyes narrowed dangerously.  
   
 “Kill me.” Kuroo smirked. “Do it!” He swiped his arm to the side and a flood of hands ruptured out of his flesh – they were black-blue in colour, hands of darkness, all reaching for Oikawa in varying thickness and speeds.  
   
 Oikawa blasted forward. He sliced through the hands, shooting down the bigger ones. He narrowly dodged a thick one and swirled to chop it off. He roared as he gained speed.  
   
 Kuroo moved back.  
   
 Oikawa charged forward. He spun his body, swinging his chainsaw in a violent arc.  
   
 Kuroo’s own chainsaw parried.  
   
 The hit erupted sparks, pushing them both back.  
   
 “What happened to you?” asked Oikawa as he swung again.  
   
 Kuroo dodged and swung. “She did!”  
   
 Oikawa blocked it with his rifle and swung back. “Who?”  
   
 “The bitch who killed me!” Kuroo dodged again and a hand shot out of his chest, a claw – aiming for Oikawa’s face.  
   
 Oikawa brought his wings into a shield just in time, but the force shoved him back. The force was heavy, but Oikawa smiled. His wings reappeared and he adjusted his arc, aiming right for—  
   
 Iwaizumi looked up.  
   
 Kuroo grit his teeth.  
   
 Oikawa merged his weapons into a glowing chainsaw. He used the force of Kuroo’s attack to spin one more time, roaring as he swung his blade—shattering Iwaizumi’s prison.  
   
 Iwaizumi turned into Blade instantly and shot swords forward at Kuroo.  
   
 Kuroo brought up a wall and blocked.  
   
 Oikawa charged back in; with Iwaizumi giving him cover fire, he crossed the distance and brought his chainsaw up in an uppercut, slashing through Kuroo’s shield and tearing into his flesh.  
   
 Kuroo yelled as he was thrown back.  
   
 Iwaizumi dove in, slashing along Kuroo’s body once before moving back.  
   
 “Enough!” Kuroo gathered a shield of darkness around him as he straightened himself up. Eyes narrowed, the darkness gathered in his hand and shot out in a beam.  
   
 Oikawa back flipped and aimed his rifle, firing a charged shot in return.  
   
 Iwaizumi moved back and fired more blades.  
   
 The projectiles gathered into a void and exploded, throwing them all back.  
   
 “Some are Alls,” said Oikawa as he flew in one more time – one last time, “Some are Nones,” he whispered before his voice spiked up, “But who cares!” He shot a beam of photon—right through Kuroo’s heart—”We’re stronger together!” He jammed his chainsaw into Kuroo’s chest; the spinning blade stopped as it sunk into his flesh. Oikawa’s eyes were fierce and burning. “Because together—”  
   
 Iwaizumi appeared from behind and stabbed Kuroo through his back. “Together, we’re more.”  
   
 Blood pooled in Kuroo’s mouth and when he looked up, it dripped dark red out of the corners of his lips.  
   
 Oikawa and Iwaizumi stayed still, not trusting anything yet.  
   
 But Kuroo’s samurai outfit soon faded, as did the sphere of light they were in.  
   
 Slowly the light faded, becoming the black night sky of the city once again. The three of them hung in the air, still, before Oikawa pulled out his chainsaw and Iwaizumi his blade. Kuroo slipped between them, falling. Oikawa grabbed Iwaizumi and held him close. Iwaizumi hugged him tight, not just because he couldn’t fly on his own. Oikawa glided downwards until they touched the ground. “Hajime…” His eyes watered. “How are you?”  
   
 “I’m…” Iwaizumi shrugged. “Pretty good, I guess. You?”  
   
 Oikawa smiled and kissed him.  
   
 “You two,” came Kenma’s voice. “This isn’t the time for romance.”  
   
 They pulled away, noting a pool of darkness around Kuroo’s body.  
   
 Kenma stared at his friend for a long time, feelings swirling in his eyes.  
   
 Bokuto and Akaashi soon joined them, weapons out.  
   
 “It’s okay,” murmured Kenma. “He’s too wounded to keep going… even with the Dark sustaining him, he won’t last long. But… Now.” Kenma’s eyes narrowed. “Now we kill him.”  
   
 Oikawa swallowed hard. “Kenma…”  
   
 “Don’t pity me.” Kenma summoned cords, which whirled together to form a knife. “And don’t pity yourself. Some things… need to be done. Sacrifices, must be made.” He took a tentative step forward. “I’ll do it.”  
   
 Iwaizumi’s eyes softened. “But is that what you want?”  
   
 Bokuto frowned. “What does he mean by that?”  
   
 Akaashi nudged him, gently. “It is obvious, isn’t it?” He didn’t smile, but a part of him wanted too. “Humans give up too easy.”  
   
 Kenma ignored them. Some things, needed to be done. He walked with a notable limp, but he walked nonetheless. They were at the centre of an intersection, traffic lights long since uprooted by the storm. The city was deserted like a ghost town. Kenma took shaky steps forward until he made his way to Kuroo’s body. He dropped to his knees on top of Kuroo, straddling his chest. He tightened his grip around his knife. “Kuroo.”  
   
 “Kuroo,” repeated Kuroo, “Always Kuroo… never Tetsuro… not even after all these years.”  
   
 Kenma’s eyes softened, but his grip on his knife didn’t loosen.  
   
 “Kenma… are you beyond saving?”  
   
 “Hm.” Kenma eyed him. “When I chased you, saw you, you made me pass out… You infected me, with the Dark, numbering my days left. You wanted me to be just like you… so I would be the fifth member of your Sector. I should be angry, Kuroo… but… I’m not. A part… of me doesn’t mind. I… would have liked to spend eternity suffering, if it meant being with you…”  
   
 Kuroo looked up at him, small smile on his lips, a little shy. “You didn’t answer my question.”  
   
 “Am I beyond saving…? I… I think so.”  
   
 “That’s not a yes.”  
   
 “It would take a miracle to save me, now,” murmured Kenma, “But I don’t know if I would take it… What’s left for me, Kuroo? I’m about to lose you… again… I’ve lost Yui, already… I tried to take care of your kid… but it hurts… it hurts… knowing I can’t… that I’ll never… I…” He swallowed hard. “I always had feelings for you, Ku… Tetsuro.”  
   
 Kuroo smiled, wider. “Yeah.” He had tears in his eyes. “I don’t regret picking her, but it would have been nice to have you too…”  
   
 “I…” Kenma closed his eyes. “I love you, Tetsuro.”  
   
 “Aw, Kitten…” Kuroo reached up, hand shaking, touching Kenma’s cheek. “It’s good to hear you say it. I love y—”  
   
 “Stay.”  
   
 Kuroo blinked. “What?”  
   
 “St-Stay!” Kenma sobbed, once. “Stay with me!” Hot tears spilled from his eyes, down his cheek, hitting Kuroo’s hand. “I’ll find a way… Please! Please… I’ll… I’ll make every day worth living—I’ll make every night…” He hiccupped. “I swear, Kuroo! Tetsuro! Please! Please stay with me… I don’t… I don’t want to be alone anymore!—I’ll—I, I… I have nothing left!” He shoved his head into Kuroo’s neck and yelled, “I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Tetsuro!”  
   
 Oikawa’s gun changed modes, switching to green. “Now!” He pointed up and fired. “Kageyama!”  
   
 The flare shot into the sky and blasted open another dimension; the sky was filled with the sun and stars and planets as the whole universe seemed to expand endlessly above them. There was a vague image of the Tsukishima Temple before twin spirals of ice cold water blasted down on Kuroo and Kenma, consuming them in purification.  
   
 Iwaizumi blinked, looking up. “What?”  
   
 “Say his name and he appears, right?” Oikawa dismissed his gun and wagged his finger. “I figured Tobio-chan had some space magic going on if he could just do that!”  
   
 Iwaizumi stared at him, no expression on his face. “You took a bet on that?”  
   
 “Space magic means aliens, Iwa-chan, and you always take bets on aliens.”  
   
 Inside the well of purification, Kuroo and Kenma were soaked, water running endlessly over them like a waterfall. Kuroo closed his eyes, feeling a black mist rise away from the flesh of his being. “It hurts..”  
   
 Kenma hugged him tight, still sobbing as Dark was being removed from his own body. “Don’t go,” he whispered in Kuroo’s ear. “Please…”  
   
 Kuroo smiled, slowly. “A chance… at life, again…”  
   
 “I don’t… I don’t want to be alone anymore…”  
   
 “Kenma… you’ve… lost so many people…”  
   
 Kenma sobbed, choking on his own sobs.  
   
 The water eventually stopped falling, and the hole in the sky returned to normal.  
   
 They shivered; the cold night air on ice water soaked skin didn’t feel great. But they were alive. Kuroo hugged Kenma tight, holding back his own tears. It wasn’t over, but like Yamaguchi – the worst was over, and with enough time, maybe they could—  
   
 “Kenma!” Kuroo shoved him to the side, moving over him as—  
   
 Gunshots—  
   
 Black spikes hit Kuroo in the back. He choked, shivering. Kenma lay underneath him, on his back, eyes wide. Kuroo offered one more smile as he rolled over, body going limp.  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes widened.  
   
 Iwaizumi glared.  
   
 Akaashi gripped his scythe.  
   
 Bokuto stared.  
   
 Kenma got up and turned to the direction of—  
   
 Oikawa’s hands fell at his side. It hit him. “It was you… it was all you…”  
   
 Michimiya stood atop the last streetlight left on the road, rifle in hand.  
   
 Kenma frowned. “Oi…kawa?”  
   
 “Mom…” Oikawa stared at her, dumbfounded. “This was all…”  
   
 Michimiya lifted her rifle and rested it on her shoulder. “Look at your Sector. It’s a mess.” She eyed him. “Your Sector… Cherry picked… grown by me. I’ve had enough of you. I never anticipated you defeating Angel, or you purifying either Corpse or Distortion. But that was fine. Because I came up with this plan: This city was supposed to be ravaged, Tetsuro was supposed to kill you, Blade, and Kenma’s squad. Then I would come in, kill Kuroo, and be the hero. Then this Sector, and Tokyo, would belong to me.”  
   
 Oikawa fell to his knees.  
   
 Michimiya sighed. “Eventually I would gather the smaller Sectors between Tokyo and Yokohama, and widen my influence. Once I had two of the largest cities here, the rest would fall in line.”  
   
 Kenma forced himself up. “You—”  
   
 But the difference in power was obvious. Before either of them even saw her move, several shots volleyed out, black spikes. Kenma was shot in the chest, grunting as he was forced down. Akaashi attempted to deflect the magic, but it was too strong; his scythe was blasted into a different direction and he was littered with spikes. Bokuto tried to dodge, but a shot to his shin made him kneel. Iwaizumi grabbed Oikawa and yanked him back, creating a bladeshield just in time to block the attacks.  
   
 It didn’t take her long. She blurred forward. A kick to Bokuto’s jaw, two more shots to Akaashi, and one to Kenma nullified his squad.  
   
 Oikawa and Iwaizumi stared.  
   
 Michimiya walked slowly along the concrete. Her outfit was that of a kunochi, a female ninja. “That takes care of witnesses.”  
   
 Oikawa’s body began convulsing. Tears spilled down his cheeks. “You…” A hate, a fire burned inside him. “You!”  
   
 Iwaizumi grabbed his shoulder. “Calm down.”  
   
 But Oikawa was blind with rage. He screamed as he charged, swinging his chainsaw violently.  
   
 She dodged the strike and put her rifle to his chest, and fired. The shot was enough to kill, and she had no doubt her son was dead. She grabbed his chainsaw, for good measure, and—  
   
 “Tooru!” Iwaizumi yelled, but it was too late—he saw Oikawa’s arm go flying off.  
   
 Oikawa, already dead at this point, didn’t feel his legs being slice off either.  
   
 Iwaizumi charged her.  
   
 Michimiya opened her hand and a darkness began to collect.  
   
 Iwaizumi realised, only too late, that he had been swallowed up into the void, the darkness, an eternal prison with no way out.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Oikawa sunk into the darkness. Usually, whenever he had come here before, darkness would eat at his flesh because he was light-elemental. But, there was nothing. The light in his eyes faded, as did his mind and soul. All that was left was a body, sinking to the bottom of the abyss. Gone, forever, no evidence – nothing. The small, tiny trace in him that still lived wondered… would it be just another car crash? Is that was what would take him, to everyone who would miss him, to everyone that loved him… or would it even matter, because she would kill them too? But that train of thought, like him, died.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “Tooru!” Iwaizumi’s tears blinded his vision, but he forced himself lower… lower, deeper… deeper into the abyss. He forced himself closer… closer, to Oikawa… if there even was an Oikawa left. He couldn’t see him, couldn’t hear him, couldn’t even feel him. “Tooru,” whispered Iwaizumi. He sunk low… not hearing any sound. It was oddly… serene. It was calm, like his life before he met Oikawa.  
   
 Iwaizumi was the calm; he wanted his storm.  
   
 But there was nothing.  
   
 Nothing to be found.  
   
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
   
   
   
 Nothing to be found.  
   
   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
   
 “Tooru, where are you? Please…” Iwaizumi searched and searched, finding nothing and nothing. He forced himself lower… lower, deeper… deeper into the abyss. Tears fell from his eyes. “Tooru, please…”  
   
   
   
   
   
 Nothing to be found.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
 Iwaizumi’s tears blinded his vision, but he forced himself lower… lower, deeper… deeper into the abyss. “Please, Tooru…”  
   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
   
 The abyss was endless… endless.  
   
   
 Iwaizumi had closed his eyes, almost giving up.  
   
   
  _Iwaizumi,_ whispered something soft, _Can you hear me?_  
   
 Iwaizumi opened his eyes. “Shimizu-san?”  
   
  _Yes… it’s me, Kiyoko. I’ve told you, that I only have one power… the power of All._  
   
 Iwaizumi’s eyes widened. “Yeah.”  
   
  _Do you feel it? This… is all I can do._  
   
 Iwaizumi understood.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Oikawa was sinking, sinking. Lower… lower, deeper… deeper… There was almost nothing but a corpse, but softly…  
   
 “Tooru.”  
   
 Oikawa’s head shifted, slightly, as if he heard it.  
   
 A light pressed against him. It was… warm. Warm. Like a furnace, like a phoenix. Oikawa felt it. He _felt_ it. It was a hand, against his chest, glowing bright. Slowly, his limbs moved, clasping the hand. He opened his mouth, to say something, and it faltered at first but, “Iw-,” he whispered, “Iwa-chan?”  
   
 “Don’t talk, okay? Just… listen.”  
   
 Oikawa closed his eyes. Listen? So, he listened.  
   
   
  _I hope you’re okay out there,_ came Tsukishima’s voice, _We need you… you know that?_  
   
   
  _Oikawa-senpai!_ yelled Hinata, _You better be kicking some major ass right now!_  
   
   
  _I keep feeling like I should have done more, for you…_ Akiteru admitted, _But you were always happy with what I did. I just… I fear that you see me as a burden._  
   
   
  _Um, Senpai?_ Yamaguchi’s voice was soft, _You saved me… when I was alone… You made me feel like I wasn’t a… murderer. You made me realise… that I could do good in the future, regardless of who I hurt in the past._  
   
   
  _O-Oikawa-san,_ stuttered Kageyama, _I… am… not good at, words. But. I appreciate what you do for everyone… I… never realised, until now… how hard it must be, to hold the weight of the world on your shoulders, so…_  
   
   
 Oikawa felt it.  
   
   
  _Listen,_ came Kiyoko, _There are other voices, even if they’re not as bright._  
   
   
  _Oikawa-senpai!_ yelled Nishinoya, _I’m not sure why I’m thinking about you right now… but you’re really cool!_  
   
   
  _Oikawa-senpai,_ came Yachi’s voice, calm for once, _You’re the best club president we could ask for… even if you don’t let us watch Boku no Pico…_  
   
   
 Oikawa chuckled, softly, broken, but a chuckle.  
   
   
  _Oyyyyy!_ yelled Saeko, _You’ve always been a close friend of mine, and now you’re taking care of my little runt of a brother. You’re amazing._  
   
   
  _Senpai!_ Tanaka said, _Senpais really are the best. I want to be like you, you know? Hell, maybe I should wear skirts to school now!_  
   
   
 There was a grunt, and Oikawa knew it was Ushijima. He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t have to.  
   
   
  _Aniki!_ came his favourite noodle, _I hope you’re okay… Thanks._  
   
   
  _I know I don’t know you well,_ whispered Yaku, _But I always liked people who take care of others… I just wish there’s someone out there, who takes care of you._  
   
   
  _I hope you’re doing okay right now,_ Ittetsu thought to himself, _You fight through so much… but you’re strong._  
   
   
 Oikawa sobbed.  
   
  _Oikawa Tooru,_ came Akaashi’s smooth voice, _Smile, if you can. You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for._  
   
  _Hey heeyy heyyyyy!_ Bokuto laughed. _You’re not going to give up… Humans give up way too easy, but you’re smarter than that._  
   
  _It’s true,_ Kenma’s voice was somber, _I only looked after you because you were Tetsuro’s child. I’m… sorry. I hid so much from you.. but I… I cared about you. I loved you. I wasn’t perfect, but I did my best. I loved you like you were mine, because you understood… you understand, what it really means to be alone… what it really means to lose someone._  
   
  _Tooru, listen…_ Kuroo’s voice was clearer than the rest, _I don’t have much time, but you’re my kid. I’m proud of you, and I’m sorry I wasn’t there… but I’m glad you grew into a good man…_ He paused for a moment. _Alls and Nones… You see, kid, people get power in different ways. Some people are sufficient in themselves… they can stand on their own two legs and be who they want to be. But not you. You’re not a None… and neither am I. You need others: You find strength in other people, you find your purpose in helping other people, and by doing that you’ve built bonds that are stronger than you realise. You have to understand… you are who you are, with your limitations, and your strengths._  
   
  _And,_ Sugawara said with a chuckle, _There’s not a damn thing wrong with that._  
   
 “Tooru.”  
   
 Oikawa opened his eyes. This voice didn’t come from the light, but from in front of him. “Hajime…”  
   
 “You…” Iwaizumi looked at him. “The power everyone’s gained because of you, the power everyone’s achieved because of you… everything you’ve done for other people… it’s here, returned to you—tenfold.” Iwaizumi smiled, softly. “Kuroo’s right… you don’t even understand what you’ve done for us, for all of us. By being you, by being true to yourself – and not giving a damn – you’ve made all of us realise we need to be true to ourselves too. By being the strongest you can be, by being encouraging us to do the same, we became better people.”  
   
 “Hajime…”  
   
 “I know you’re not perfect… you’re a mix of low self-esteem and high insecurity, no matter how hard you try to hide it. But that’s just it. You wake up and face forward, no matter what. Listen, Tooru… I’m not saying I’ll die without you, or that I _need_ , because no human truly _needs_ another person. That’s distorted, and wrong. Nobody should ever be that dependent on anyone that much for friendship or love. But, I will say, that I like myself better when I’m with you. I like myself more because of you. You’ve changed my life… forever. You’ve made me a better person.”  
   
 Oikawa opened his mouth—  
   
 “Just listen. You’re an All… and I’m a None. You support everyone, but who supports you? I asked you that. I’ll hold you up. I’ll be your pillar. If you’re bearing the world on your shoulders, then I’ll bear it with you. You—who helps everyone… You—who gives power to everyone… now, draw that power back. Not out of selfishness, nor out of greed, but because _we want to help you._ Do you get it yet? You’re not alone. You’re the furthest thing from.”  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes watered and he shut them before he could cry. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”  
   
 “You have nothing to apologise for.”  
   
 The light burned against his chest.  
   
 “Tooru… it’s not too late.”  
   
 The light gathered, greater than before, enveloping them.  
   
 Oikawa sobbed. “Hajime…”  
   
 “I’m here, Tooru. I won’t leave your side.”  
   
 “Then…” Oikawa took a deep breath. “I’ve got a plan.”  
   
 “A plan?”  
   
 Oikawa nodded.  
   
 Iwaizumi simply asked, “The pit?”  
   
 “Yeah.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Michimiya was hollow, nothing but a lost soul. As a gust of wind carried the remnants of the dead Dark through the air, she stayed still, letting her hair and clothes get messed up by the breeze. She stood still, utterly still, rifle at her side. She would have hated this—the old her would have hated this. But the old her was gone. She was distant, now. She couldn’t suffer. She was cold. A part of her wished she could cry, and another part of her wished she wasn’t too far gone.  
   
 But the truth of the world was that she had killed her husband and child, today, as well as one of her best friends.  
   
 A memory surfaced in her mind, of Kuroo, Kenma, Moniwa and herself all spending New Year’s Eve together, laughing and drinking, bright orange lights and smiles.  
   
 But in the dead cold city, black and blue, like a bruise, she had nothing.  
   
 She closed her eyes.  
   
 She felt nothing.  
   
 Michimiya had done this all to feel, all for a chance to prove she wasn’t empty… but in the end, nothing. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to, but she couldn’t. Like a soft voice, however, her battle instinct whispered: _Rule number one, Little T, never lower your guard!_  
   
 A beam brighter than the sun raced towards her.  
   
 Michimiya spun on her heel, using her hand to deflect it; the beam spread into seven different blasts—causing explosions all around her. “Tooru.”  
   
 Oikawa’s missing limbs had been restored, but that wasn’t the surprising part: His body was glowing colours that weren’t humanly possible. It seemed like he was supported by the stars and the planets as his chainsaw burned with fire, rifle with rings of water. He had two pairs of wings, his own butterfly, and angel wings made of ice that acted like mirrors, giving him reflections of his every surrounding. Leather straps surrounded his legs, while blades spun around him.  
   
 Michimiya glared. “Kneel.”  
   
 “Fuck no!” Oikawa put his weapons above his head, clashing them together. Spell power raced around him, spinning and spinning, in all colours and none. When he aimed his rifle, she did the same. When he fired, she did the same. But, while Michimiya’s spikes were black and pointed, Oikawa’s shots were photonic—beams of fire and water, darkness and ice, light and space-force itself blasted in an array at her.  
   
 Michimiya threw herself back and charged a shot. When she fired, the black beam was a laser – cutting through all the different elements.  
   
 Oikawa narrowly dodged, yelping. “Damnit!” He smirked, angry and annoyed. “Everyone at my side and she can still overpower—”  
   
 Michimiya swiped her hand and darkness pooled at her feet. Dark. The monsters shot out of the void, beasts both canine and feline, racing at Oikawa.  
   
 Oikawa jumped up and rained elements down, destroying the beasts, before spinning and swiping his chainsaw to release an arc of purification water.  
   
 Michimiya shot through it, but her eyes were looking to the side.  
   
 Iwaizumi appeared and slashed his two-hander.  
   
 She dodged and her free hand formed a fist, jamming it into Iwaizumi’s chest and throwing him back. She turned.  
   
 Oikawa crashed down with his chainsaw.  
   
 Michimiya jumped back, spinning blade grazing her shoulder pad.  
   
 Oikawa shot several photonic bullets and moved with Fox’ speed, moving his chainsaw in an uppercut.  
   
 Michimiya blocked with her rifle, which sent her flying skyward.  
   
 Oikawa jumped after her; his two pairs of wings and command over wind let him move as if he were a god.  
   
 Michimiya landed on a rooftop and looked up. Her son was above her and rained down the elements – fire, ice, water, thunder, more. She didn’t care. She punched the ground and pools of darkness erupted around her, creating a barrier that exploded, sending Oikawa’s coloured projectiles in different directions.  
   
 Oikawa landed and tried to close the distance.  
   
 Michimiya jumped back and fired a shot of vorpal darkness.  
   
 Oikawa’s chainsaw, for half a second, took on the shape of a scythe and he nullified magic with one strike. White cords erupted from his being, chasing down Michimiya, who released another wave of darkness to kill the cords. Oikawa smirked. He took Bokuto’s stance, one step forward, full-on offensive, and swung his chainsaw—blasting a wave of darkness.  
   
 Michimiya shot through it.  
   
 Oikawa was thrown back; he rolled along the ground and got back up. _Even all of us together, we—_  
   
 Michimiya blurred forward, jamming her free hand into Oikawa’s gut.  
   
 Oikawa coughed blood. Michimiya’s punch threw him off the building, sending him falling through the sky. He flipped and his four wings expanded. He opened his eyes and saw Michimiya’s figure covered in a black-purple light. His eyes widened. This felt like the Dark, but… it was more. It was so much more. Oikawa swallowed hard. This feeling… something reminded him of the Hagfish, or Hypnotoad. Would she summon them again? No. Oikawa realised, no. This would be worse. This would be so much worse.  
   
 Michimiya screamed as she launched out her newest monster.  
   
 A dragon, a serpent dragon.  
   
 The snake-like deity launched forward, fangs bared, hissing as it crossed the distance between Michimiya and Oikawa in less than a second.  
   
 Oikawa spun his body, dodging the snap of its jaws. He landed on another building and saw the dragon dive for another attack. Just as the serpent dragon tried to swallow him, he jumped up, over its head, and fired several shots along its body. He flipped, landing, noticing the dragon was leaving, but he didn’t know where to.  
   
 The serpent dragon spun, once, and then crashed into the building, breaking the support, snapping it in half.  
   
 “Oh fuck!” Oikawa felt the upper half of the building disconnect. He felt it slide off and saw he was heading right for the ground. He flapped his wings and tried to jump up, but the sudden turn of the ground made him lose his footing.  
   
 “Tooru!” Iwaizumi appeared, grabbing Oikawa before sinking into the darkness.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Oikawa’s hands clasped onto Iwaizumi. He closed his eyes in the darkness.  
   
 “I’m almost done in the pit. I need a few more minutes.”  
   
 “Got it,” Oikawa said with a forced smile. “I’ll buy you the time you need.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Michimiya stood atop one of the highest buildings in Yokohama. Her dark brown hair looked black in the dim night. The serpent dragon had coiled itself loosely around the building, midair. Its form was great, looping several times like a barrier around her. Its head was bigger than a city block. Michimiya looked like an ant in comparison, but she felt the dominating presence of the dragon god as her own. Tooru, she looked around. Where did he go? She knew better than to expect the damn child to choke and die quietly. No, he would make as much noise as he could.  
   
 Light.  
   
 It was halfway across the city, and it looked like a speck in the distance, but it was bright. She covered her eyes and tried to look at it with her hand as a shield.  
   
 There, halfway across the city, Oikawa dropped out of the dark. Light was gathering, bright. He felt like he was sunsphere, moonlight. Like he was stardust, about to take flight, to become a new star, a new sun, and burn ever more. A memory was forming in the back of his mind, reminding him that it was there. A sphere formed in his hand, the new power he had gained. If his mother could summon, then he—  
   
  _“Carry me.”  
   
 Iwaizumi pulled the covers off, chuckling when Oikawa shivered. He got up and poked his boyfriend. “I’ll give you a piggyback ride. Once in a lifetime chance.”   
   
 “I want one.” Oikawa forced himself up and climbed on top of Iwaizumi. Even in his hazy mind, he knew his bare chest was touching Iwaizumi’s bare back. His only thought was that, technically, their scars were touching. He smiled, nuzzling Iwaizumi’s shoulder, kissing the top of the dragon tattoo._  
   
 And through his memory, he saw another memory – one that didn’t belong to him—  
   
  _“He believed tattoos should be considered for a long time, you see? They’re not going to fade away anytime soon, so you should be sure about what you want – why – and where you want it. His favourite kind of tattoos to draw were animals, because they are symbols, Hajime-chan! So I thought about what animal I wanted, and I thought about mythology. I wanted something Japanese, I decided, so I went for the great serpent dragon! One of the four, the deity of waters!” She threw her hands in the air in elaborate flourishes, telling the story with her whole body the way Iwaizumi loved and adored. “It means the emperor! It means the hero!”_  
   
 Oikawa yelled as he tossed the light forward, watching it expand endlessly.  
   
 A white serpent dragon roared into existence, racing through the sky. Michimiya’s responded with equal rage, and the two collided, crashing against each other, biting each other’s necks, spiked tails slashing at each other.  
   
 Oikawa watched from the rooftops, knowing his mother would be too. His eyes widened. He gasped, before shoving his chainsaw in the concrete roof to stabilise himself.  
   
 The two dragons stopped, froze, and then convulsed, squeezing in on themselves. Light and Dark, becoming one. A hole, a black hole. It began to suck things upwards, trees uprooted, broken streetlight flying upwards; it formed a sphere, grey and beating in twos like a heart. Rupturing lines formed along the ground of the city, windows cracking. The two dragons flickered, distorting sounds, before booming outwards.  
   
 Oikawa screamed as he held onto his blade, trying not to get thrown back. Glass exploded, buildings exploded, the very sky exploded—but, still—he didn’t let his guard down. As soon as it was over, he ripped his blade out of the ground and spun on his heel.  
   
 Michimiya fired several shots.  
   
 Oikawa deflected them in one swing.  
   
 Michimiya smirked as she descended, landing on Oikawa’s neck with her foot, crushing his throat.  
   
 Oikawa felt blood fill his neck and he tried to scream, but nothing came. He reacted quickly, grabbing Michimiya’s ankle and throwing her aside.  
   
 Michimiya flipped and landed, raising her rifle and firing.  
   
 Oikawa jumped up and summoned his shield, as he leaned over, and vomited blood. His shield flickered and he dismissed it. His breathing was heaving, and he moved back, shaky steps. He looked up at her, eyes filled with rage, love, and hate. He swung his chainsaw, releasing an arc of energy.  
   
 Michimiya brought her rifle sideways, blocking it. But. Her eyes widened. She looked down to see her feet frozen, in ice.  
   
 Oikawa threw himself forward, spinning to gain momentum as he tried to end it in one swing.  
   
 Michimiya’s eyes burned and she swung her free hand, releasing darkness, releasing the void, in frantic desperation.  
   
 Oikawa’s chainsaw was glowing with light when it hit the sphere of darkness. The spinning blade grinded against the darkness, sparks erupting in all directions. Michimiya continued to power up the void orb that consumed her, while Oikawa kept applying pressure. Neither of them gave up, but the constant light versus darkness began to create cracks in the ground, until the foundation was too weak, and the roof caved in. Not being able to control either the light or dark, their raw spell power erupted downwards.  
   
 Oikawa couldn’t count how many floors they fell until they hit solid ground (twenty? Twenty-two?) but when he looked up he could barely see the sky, just a small little circle too far above.  
   
 From what little light there was, and there was barely anything, Oikawa could tell they were in some kind of office. He didn’t know where she was… so he tentatively got up and walked to the side. Cubicles. His eyes were more adjusted to the darkness than they ever had been. He didn’t know if he had Iwaizumi, Akaashi, Bokuto, or Kageyama to thank for that, but he supposed they all did their part. He felt their energies beating inside him. He rubbed his throat; the skin was raw, but healing waters moved under the surface to heal.  
   
 An office, cubicles, no windows.  
   
 Oikawa listened, tentatively, for the sound of footsteps but there were none. He walked around, eyes looking left, looking right, but he didn’t see nor hear her. For a second he wondered if she had fallen onto a different floor but a shift in the air, like wind, made him raise his head.  
   
 Behind him, several meters, Michimiya raised her rifle—and fired.  
   
 Oikawa dismissed his chainsaw and spun; his hand was consumed by thunder and fire, and when he deflected the spike it broke apart, sending ash and sparks outwards, lighting up the office just long enough for them to make eye contact, before all went dark again.  
   
 Several more shots.  
   
 Oikawa felt the spikes moving through the air and he dodged, but they moved past him and broke through the cubicle walls, detonating the computers behind him.  
   
 Fire.  
   
 It blasted in different directions.  
   
 Smoke, in the air.  
   
 Orange light let them see each other again.  
   
 Michimiya charged.  
   
 Oikawa moved back.  
   
 But Michimiya was faster, elbowing his stomach. She twisted her form and jammed her rifle into his chest, releasing a charged shot.  
   
 Oikawa broke through a wall, toppling over the desks on the other side. When he got up, he knew he was bleeding from his head since he had to wipe blood out of his eyes. He grit his teeth. Waters moved under his clothes, cold and soothing, healing him. He released cords, knowing they would find their way through the debris to her. “Burn!” On command, there was a flash of fire and Kenma’s cords became one with Hinata’s fire. Oikawa got up and aimed his rifle. When he shot, a distortion of space, a bend in reality, merged with roaring thunder.  
   
 But Michimiya blocked it all with another void shield, a perfect sphere of darkness around her, an impenetrable defense.  
   
 Oikawa whined. “Come on, that’s not fair!”  
   
 Her shield condensed into her gun and she aimed.  
   
 “Oh fuck.”  
   
 She fired.  
   
 Oikawa jumped back and raised its own rifle. His eyes narrowed. Images poured into him – the way Hinata punched the air in front of him when he got riled up, the way Tsukishima had a cocky smirk when he was making fun of someone, Akiteru’s laugh warm and carefree no matter the occasion, Kageyama’s grumpy frown that was practically permanent, Yamaguchi’s giggle that he always tried to hide, Bokuto’s signature grin when he was in a playful mood, Akaashi’s subtle smile whenever he talked about Bokuto, Kenma’s passive look that guarded so much emotion, Kiyoko tucking her hair behind her ear – the look on Sugawara’s face whenever he teased – the images poured into him and he fired his strongest beam yet.  
   
 The two bullets hit each other, but Oikawa’s won.  
   
 It raced forward, breaking through Michimiya’s stomach, leaving a noticeable hole, and zoomed right through her through the office – exploding computers and breaking walls until shot out of the building.  
   
 Oikawa paused.  
   
 Michimiya fell to her knees, grabbing the hole. She coughed, wincing, and grit her teeth.  
   
 “Mom…”  
   
 Michimiya looked up, bloodlust in her eyes.  
   
 Oikawa opened his mouth, but closed it.  
   
 “Good choice,” she commented, “Words are useless now.”  
   
 “Fine.” Oikawa took his stance.  
   
 Michimiya stood up, grabbing her rifle with two hands and aiming it forward. She took a deep breath, and released the void.  
   
 But Oikawa wasn’t afraid. Even if Michimiya could swallow all the light, he wasn’t afraid. He moved into the darkness, not needing to see. He didn’t fear her. Not anymore. His weapons were doused in elements, and fire burned while thunder crackled. Even though he had elements like water, or ice, that refracted light and broke it apart, he called out the higher elements and moved into the darkness.  
   
 Weapon hit weapon.  
   
 Oikawa swung his chainsaw in the shadows, and Michimiya blocked with her rifle. On contact, sparks and ash were released, but Michimiya pushed him off and fired, releasing beams of darkness. While Oikawa fought to keep it bright, Michimiya’s shots swallowed up the light. Chainsaw hit gun, guns fired, Michimiya threw in several kicks and punches, and Oikawa did his best to dodge.  
   
 The spar continued.  
   
 Michimiya growled, summoning more darkness that consumed her flesh. She swung her rifle like a sword.  
   
 Oikawa was calm, consumed by light, as he swung his chainsaw.  
   
 Grey.  
   
 Their weapons became a vacuum on impact with each other, and eventually exploded, throwing them back.  
   
 But Oikawa moved in again.  
   
 And Michimiya did too.  
   
 Weapon hit weapon, steel hit steel; the reverberation of each hit echoed in the empty office. Every contact was a black hole: It emitted such high gravitational force that it self-destructed, pushing them back. But they were unphased. Every second, they had roughly two or three hits, ripping apart spacetime, damaging reality.  
   
 Mid-swing, Oikawa’s eyes widened. He didn’t know how he knew, but he _knew._ He _knew_ Iwaizumi was ready. He switched his footing and launched himself back. Firebolts and thunderbolts surrounded him, lighting the way as he raced to the hole in the wall his earlier shot had made.  
   
 Michimiya followed.  
   
 Oikawa jumped out of the building, into night air, and his wings expanded. Night air? He glanced, seeing traces of sunrise. Not many, but it would be dawn soon.  
   
 Dawn.  
   
 Michimiya jumped at him.  
   
 But Oikawa spun, eyes glowing.  
   
 Michimiya’s eyes widened. All around her…  
   
 Gates of light opened.  
   
 They fired; she created another shield and grit her teeth.  
   
 Oikawa knew what he had to do.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Iwaizumi was ready. In the pit—a small government protected natural park that was surrounded by looming office buildings—Iwaizumi looked up, seeing beams of light and darkness race overhead. He tilted his head to the side, taking a deep breath. It would be time, soon. Oikawa Michimiya, leader of the Blood Ring. Empress of Tokyo. If that was true, then… this would be… Iwaizumi nodded. The final act to kill an empire.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Michimiya had no wings, but she jumped from rooftop to rooftop fairly easily. She could tell Oikawa was luring her somewhere. She knew it was a trap, but with the way he fired beams of fire and ice, thunder and darkness, ice and more—-she knew it was safer to play along for now. She had noted the pit from an aerial view a minute before she arrived. When Oikawa released seven beams right above her, and several in a downward arc to halt her advance, she knew her only choice was to go down.  
   
 She twisted her body and began to fall. Her eyes noted something rather strange.  
   
 Along all of the walls, along the ground, and even hanging in the sky above her.  
   
 Blades.  
   
 Everywhere.  
   
 She frowned. She knew little of Iwaizumi, but even if he could summon that many blades she knew he was far too weak to be able to coordinate all of those firing at the same time. As she fell, headfirst, she looked up, and her eyes widened.  
   
 Oikawa was right above her, gun raised upwards. The blue line that traced his blade became red. He aimed it down at her and yelled; his words echoed down the pit and she heard his roar,  
   
     _—Magnetism—_  
   
 The red projectile was like a small knife and it hit her in the chest.  
   
 Her eyes widened.  
   
 Blades, all around her… being pulled in.  
   
 She knew, somehow, that there had to be at least a thousand, if not more – five thousand. She flipped and summoned the void, creating her impenetrable shield. Thousands of blades hit her shield, deflecting on impact, but she saw cracks grow. Although she had lost many of her emotions, fear was something she retained. It grew inside her, beating like a heart pumping louder and louder, in her ears. She grit her teeth and yelled, powering up her shield, trying to heal the cracks, but—  
   
 A blade sunk into her back.  
   
 Michimiya raised her head and threw it back.  
   
 Another pushed into her right arm.  
   
 And another, into her left shoulder.  
   
 Into her thigh.  
   
 Into her side.  
   
 Stomach.  
   
 Liver.  
   
 Leg.  
   
 Wrist.  
   
 Lungs.  
   
 Throat.  
   
   
 Heart.  
   
 Michimiya had deflected over ninety percent of the blades, but a total of forty-six swords pierced her body. She fell to the ground, falling to her knees. Although her heart could not beat, she growled and her eyes began to burn. The blades were slowly being pushed out.  
   
 Iwaizumi yelled, “Tooru!” He held the blades in place. “I can’t hold her forever! She’ll break through!”  
   
 Oikawa dropped right in front of her.  
   
 Michimiya glared at him.  
   
 Oikawa’s gun, which was glowing red, changed colours again. She knew about his different modes; after all, she had taught him how to expand his arsenal. Blue was his photon bullets, green was flare, and red was magnetism. But his gun changed: Grey. Grey. He had another mode? Another ace up his sleeve? Another dirty trick? She wanted to scream.  
   
 Oikawa stayed calm. He pressed the barrel of the gun against her head. “I loved you.”  
   
 Michimiya froze, not by the words, but because with the barrel against her head she knew what that mode was.  
   
 “I still do,” Oikawa admitted, with a sad little smile. “I know… I know that, if you could…” His eyes softened. “You died that day. You’re nothing but an empty husk, now.”  
   
 Iwaizumi paused, feeling her give up.  
   
 Oikawa smiled, wider. “I knew if you could, you would love me. I know the mom I had, loved me too.” He pulled the trigger. “I’m sorry.”  
   
 Grey was real bullets.  
   
 When he pulled the trigger, he finished what the accident started. The gunshot was hardly muted by her skull, and her head cocked back violently, blood pouring from the wound.  
   
 Michimiya’s clothing disappeared, and so did Iwaizumi’s blades. Her form leaned back and crumpled into an uncomfortable position.  
   
 Lifeless.  
   
 Oikawa stared at her. He looked up to see the sky, red, dawn, sunrise. He looked back at her and swallowed hard.  
   
 “Tooru…” Iwaizumi walked up to him. His eyes softened and he looked down. “We won.”  
   
 “Yeah,” Oikawa barely whispered, “But it sure as hell, doesn’t feel like a victory…”  
   
 “No… no it doesn’t…” Iwaizumi pulled Oikawa close, making him rest his head on his shoulder. “But it’s finally over.”


	38. Guns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _“i can't believe this streetlight is actually even remotely important to this plotline”_  
>     –Chapter 37 beta comment highlight reel, by Nikooki
> 
> Anyway, with that last chapter we broke 1000 comments! You guys are a bunch of Chatty Cathies, and I love it. I just wanted to say thank you all for your support and amazing comments you guys have been giving me. It lights up my life like Oikawa does Iwaizumi's. ♥
> 
> * * *

 It was funny how memory worked. Simple things reminded him of bigger things. For example, after putting his yen in the vending machine, Oikawa hit the button for a can of the weird cherry drink Sugawara liked. When the can fell it thumped and reminded him of the sound his gun made when he pulled the trigger—and his mother’s head cocked back. Blood. It was funny, wasn’t it? How something, as simple as a vending machine could remind him that not only was his mom dead, but Oikawa had been the one that killed her. It was funny, wasn’t it? Oikawa pressed his forehead against the cold glass, hearing the hum of hollow machine.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Oikawa stayed calm. He pressed the barrel of the gun against her head. “I loved you.”  
    
 Michimiya froze, not by the words, but because with the barrel against her head she knew what that mode was.  
    
 “I still do,” Oikawa admitted, with a sad little smile. “I know… I know that, if you could…” His eyes softened. “You died that day. You’re nothing but an empty husk, now.”  
    
 Iwaizumi paused, feeling her give up.  
    
 Oikawa smiled, wider. “I knew if you could, you would love me. I know the mom I had, loved me too.” He pulled the trigger. “I’m sorry.”  
    
 Grey was real bullets.  
    
 When he pulled the trigger, he finished what the accident started. The gunshot was hardly muted by her skull, and her head cocked back violently, blood pouring from the wound.  
    
 Michimiya’s clothing disappeared, and so did Iwaizumi’s blades. Her form leaned back and crumpled into an uncomfortable position.  
    
 Lifeless.  
    
 Oikawa stared at her. He looked up to see the sky, red, dawn, sunrise. He looked back at her and swallowed hard.  
    
 “Tooru…” Iwaizumi walked up to him. His eyes softened and he looked down. “We won.”  
    
 “Yeah,” Oikawa barely whispered, “But it sure as hell, doesn’t feel like a victory…”  
    
 “No… no it doesn’t…” Iwaizumi pulled Oikawa close, making him rest his head on his shoulder. “But it’s finally over.”  
   
 Reality bent, space warped, and someone stepped out of the void. Kageyama, or Distortion as was his new name, wore a simple black robe that was tied around his hips with leather straps. He wore a cowl on top that covered his head like a hood, moved around his shoulders like a scarf, and dropped down from his shoulders like a cape. Though this cowl was also black, it looked like there was a depth to its existence, for there were stars and planets, small lights, that moved along its surface.  
   
 Oikawa pulled away from Iwaizumi. “Tobio-chan…”  
   
 Kageyama’s eyes moved to the corpse of Oikawa Michimiya and he understood; at once, he understood. Although not many knew, Kageyama had known Oikawa the longest, back when he was named Tara. They had both lived in Tokyo. Oikawa had been assigned to Kageyama, years ago, to help him learn how to read since he had difficulties. And for different reasons, they had moved to Yokohama. Kageyama had met Michimiya, years ago, when she was vibrant and alive. His eyes softened, because he knew what she had become, and he looked at Oikawa.  
   
 Oikawa stared at him. “You’re here.”  
   
 “Everyone at the temple…” Kageyama swallowed hard. “We’re safe… so…” He looked between Iwaizumi and Oikawa. “Come home.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 The next morning when Oikawa woke up, he pressed his face into Iwaizumi’s neck, hiding there. The police didn’t come, of course. More bullshit, more lies… Sectin came. When Iwaizumi told them to leave, to let Oikawa mourn, they realised the inhumanity of their interruption and left, saying he would be contacted at a later date. Despite Iwaizumi’s urging not to, Oikawa wanted to go to school, wanted his routine – desperately.  
   
 Hinata froze when he saw him in the hall, trying to say words of encouragement but he stumbled over what he wanted to say.  
   
 Tsukishima eyed him softly, just dipping his head in respect.  
   
 Yamaguchi held his hands, just for a moment, and forced a smile.  
   
 At lunch, Kageyama put a cookie on his desk and left as quickly as he could.  
   
 Iwaizumi stayed by his side, all day.  
   
 When the day was over, Oikawa’s eyes drifted to Sugawara’s desk and he felt something in his chest soar. “Hajime,” he said as he turned. “Koushi… I heard his voice. Twice.”  
   
 Iwaizumi smiled. Finally, something going right. “Let’s go visit him. Now.”  
   
 Oikawa nodded.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 There was loud, ugly sobbing to say the least. When they got to the hospital, they saw – through the window – both of Sugawara’s parents in tears, hugging their son tight. They stayed back, and watched. Lev was going on and on about something, but he wasn’t making much sense.  
   
 Sugawara seemed dazed, but he smiled. His soft brown eyes looked tired, but he spoke and smiled.  
   
 Iwaizumi was about say something, but Oikawa tugged his sleeve. Iwaizumi blinked and saw Oikawa with a finger over his lip.  
   
 After Sugawara’s parents and Lev left the room, Daichi went in.  
   
 Daichi cried, loud and ugly.  
   
 Sugawara smiled, both arms around him, holding Daichi’s head to his chest. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.  
   
 Daichi nuzzled him. “Don’t be… it wasn’t your fault…”  
   
 “I should have woken up earlier.”  
   
 “It wasn’t even that long!” Daichi lifted his head. “It was just… Holy shit, Koushi… The fear, the fear of not knowing… if you’d wake up, at all…”  
   
 Sugawara ran his hand through his hair. “Kageyama told me the tournament starts soon… You have your first match, right? Friday?”  
   
 “Saturday,” he corrected. “But.” Daichi smiled. “I’ll win it, for you.”  
   
 “I’m coming.”  
   
 “What?” Daichi blinked. “You shouldn’t leave the hospital, you—”  
   
 “I’m coming.”  
   
 “But—”  
   
 “I’m coming.” Sugawara smiled bright. “Daichi… I… I heard your voice, many times… I want you to hear mine.”  
   
 Daichi kissed him, breaking the kiss to sob, because he forgot how perfect Suga’s lips felt against his. Daichi moved away and shook his head. “I’m using up all your time…”  
   
 “I already saw my family,” he admitted. “And they’re the only ones…” Sugawara paused, glancing out the window.  
   
 On the other side, Oikawa stared at him.  
   
 Daichi looked over his shoulder and smiled. He kissed Suga’s hands. “I’ll go.”  
   
 “You don’t have to.”  
   
 “I’ll be back,” he admitted as he wiped tears away. “I planned to get you flowers when you woke up, but when I heard the news – I asked one of the nurses to tell me when you woke up – so when I got the text, I just… I… forgot, everything.”  
   
 Sugawara laughed.  
   
 Iwaizumi stayed behind as Daichi came out and Oikawa went in.  
   
 Oikawa felt his heart weigh him down, like it was made of iron. He took tentative steps to the stool near Sugawara’s bedside. He sat, in silence, looking at Suga, in his hospital gown, breathing, alive, awake. He opened his mouth, but he didn’t know what to say.  
   
 So Suga simply said, “Hi.”  
   
 “Hey…” Oikawa felt his eyes water. “Koushi, I’m so sorry, I—”  
   
 “Forget it.” Suga reached out, grabbing his hands. “I’m sorry too. But forget it, for now… We’ll talk about that later…” He squeezed Oikawa’s hands. “What happened?”  
   
 Oikawa closed his eyes, and explained it all.  
   
 “Your mom is…” Suga lowered his head. “I see… Come here, Tooru.” Oikawa leaned in, and Suga hugged him tight. Suga took in the scent of his best friend, roses, and smiled. He heard Oikawa cry, but that was to be expected. He hugged tight, as tight as his weak arms could, and smiled. “About Iwaizumi…”  
   
 Oikawa pulled away, just enough. He wiped some tears away. “We’re um, back together.”  
   
 “Good.” Suga grinned and poked Oikawa’s tummy. “I wanted to give him my Sugapproval.”  
   
 Oikawa sobbed and kissed his cheek, then his forehead. “I missed you.”  
   
 “I missed you too, Tooru…” Suga closed his eyes. “It was dark, you know… wherever I was… Tooru, I… I knew you had your secrets, but never did I think… this… A whole world out there, Light and Dark…”  
   
 “I’m so sorry—”  
   
 “Shh.” Suga looked up and cupped his face. “It wasn’t like you could just tell me about it… I’m sorry. I understand now… you were really caught between a rock and a hard place, with no way to win, and no way to really make me happy… but that’s, that’s over now. You don’t have to hide things from me… unless you want. And I’m okay with that.”  
   
 “I don’t want to!” Oikawa took a deep breath. “I don’t want to… but, but there’s no going back, don’t you get it? You’ll see the monsters… they’ll see you…”  
   
 “We’ll figure it out.” Sugawara nodded. “We’re on the same side now. We’re invincible.”  
   
 “Kou-chan…”  
   
 “Too-chan should shut up and trust me.” Sugawara smiled before he forcefully jabbed Oikawa’s stomach. “Okay?”  
   
 Oikawa yelped, loud, but murmured, “Okay…”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “Oh.” Oikawa said as they left the hospital. “You didn’t get a chance to talk to Koushi.”  
   
 Iwaizumi sighed as he held up his phone. “He’s been asking me about dirty things we did and sending me train noises.”  
   
 “Ew.” Oikawa grinned. He looked up at the sky. “Can we go to your home? I… don’t want to go to her place right now.”  
   
 Iwaizumi nodded.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 They lay in bed together, leaning against one another. Oikawa’s breathing matching Iwaizumi’s slow rhythm. They stayed in silence, in the dark, over the covers, just feeling each other. Oikawa lifted his head. “Hajime… I need a distraction. Let’s do our homework.”  
   
 “Hell no.” Iwaizumi frowned. “I can’t be fucked to do that.”  
   
 “You enjoy getting fucked, though.”  
   
 “Only you.” He kissed Oikawa, but there was no lust, no energy. “I’m sorry I left you.”  
   
 “What? Oh.” Oikawa blinked and pulled away. “Not this again…”  
   
 “I want to apologise… properly.” Iwaizumi sat up. “Can’t I do that?”  
   
 “I don’t care about that, Hajime.” Oikawa shook his head. “And to be fair, I shot you. Yeah, we broke up… but… You came back to me in the end, right…?”  
   
 “Right.” Iwaizumi hummed. “Light, Dark…”  
   
 “Hajime, please… I just, need to pretend… we’re normal. For now.”  
   
 Iwaizumi nodded and pulled Oikawa close, cuddling him tight.  
   
 “Nice big arms,” murmured Oikawa. “My Iwa-bear.”  
   
 “Stop.”  
   
 “No.”  
   
 “You spoiled brat.”  
   
 Oikawa smiled. “Say it.”  
   
 Iwaizumi kissed him softly. “Prince.”  
   
 The world sucked, but for now – just for a little bit – Oikawa felt good.


	39. and

 It was an odd funeral, considering no one was crying. Not many people had lasting feelings towards the deceased. Iwaizumi, for example, was simply there for Oikawa. There were some people from Sectin: Bokuto, Akaashi, Kenma, and Kuroo. Oikawa wanted to talk to them, but it wasn’t the time nor the place for that. There were others, too. Sugawara, his mom, dad, and Lev. And Yaku, oddly enough. Oikawa wasn’t sure why he had come, but he didn’t question it.  
   
 It was a strange funeral, considering no one wanted to talk.  
   
 But Oikawa knew he was obligated to say a few words.  
   
 Iwaizumi wanted to be there with him, but he let Oikawa take the spotlight.  
   
 “When.” Oikawa cleared his throat. “When I was five… I was confused about a lot of things.” He had their attention. “I didn’t really understand why my father wasn’t around. As a kid, I couldn’t understand the legitimate adult reasons why someone would leave behind their child. A hole… there was a hole in me.” He put a hand to his heart. “But I never felt empty.” He smiled, eyes downcast and unfocused. “Because my mom filled me with so much love. She supported me, understood me, listened to me. She did her best at her job, did her best at being a parent. She was the best at loving.”  
   
 There was confusion all around.  
   
 But Oikawa ignored it. “Some people say she changed… We got into a car accident. I was there, in the back seat. A drunk driver was coming at us… She was on the left, and I was on the right. I saw her look up at the rear view mirror… I saw that flash of her eyes, looking at me. She… made her choice. She took the hit.” He felt his throat tighten and he lowered his head. There was a silence. Only a few knew the story, Iwaizumi and Sugawara. Not even Kenma nor Kuroo knew why the car accident resulted in brain damage. They stared, stunned. Oikawa took a deep, shaky breath. “She changed after that. There’s no point in denying it. But I knew then what kind of woman she was: Caring, loving, warm, and willing to give everything and more for me. Someone who will be missed… I love you, mom.”  
   
 Kuroo’s eyes were wide.  
   
 Oikawa took another breath. “Thank you.”  
   
 There was no applause of course, but Iwaizumi hugged him tight. Oikawa pulled away, to stand tall, but Iwaizumi knew it was all an act.  
   
 The crowd dispersed.  
   
 Sugawara’s mom didn’t know what to say, so she clasped a hand on his shoulder. “Do you want to come home with us?”  
   
 “N-No.” He shook his head. “I… I’ll walk home.”  
   
 She stared at him for a long minute before nodding. “Okay,” she said softly. “But call me, anytime, if you need anything. Any time at all, do you hear me? I don’t care if it’s four in the morning—if you need us, call.”  
   
 Oikawa nodded. “Thanks.”  
   
 Sugawara looked at him. “Hey.”  
   
 Oikawa forced a smile.  
   
 Sugawara didn’t mimic it. He just pulled Oikawa into a hug. “I’m proud of you.”  
   
 Oikawa hugged back. “For what?”  
   
 “It’s easy to be bitter. It’s easy to remember the bad times. You wouldn’t hurt if you did… It takes more than humanity, Tooru.” He pulled away. “It takes bravery to remember the good times… it takes courage to remember why it _should_ hurt.”  
   
 Oikawa stared at him, fake smile dropped.  
   
 Sugawara kissed his cheek and left.  
   
 The others left as well. Lev and Yaki, Bokuto and Akaashi… none of them said a word as they left.  
   
 But Kuroo walked over, slowly.  
   
 Oikawa looked at him.  
   
 “Um, Tooru…” Kuroo’s eyebrows knit together. “Can I call you Tooru?”  
   
 “Yes.” Oikawa swallowed hard. “I’m calling you Kuroo, though.”  
   
 “Fair enough… um.” Kuroo scratched the back of his head. “You’re still a child, seventeen and all… your custody’s been transferred to me.”  
   
 “I see.” Oikawa looked at him. “How, exactly?”  
   
 “It’s fairly complicated…”  
   
 Kenma appeared behind him. “Tetsuro, now’s not the time.”  
   
 “Yeah, I know, but um.” Kuroo sighed. “What I wanted to say was… as far as bills go, and your apartment and all… I’ll take care of it. You just keep living your life, okay?”  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes widened. “I didn’t even think of that…”  
   
 “And now you don’t have to.” Kuroo faked a smile, the same way Oikawa did, and then awkwardly dipped his head before leaving.  
   
 Kenma went up on his tippy toes and kissed Oikawa’s cheek before leaving as well.  
   
 Oikawa took a deep breath, thinking they were all gone but, “Hajime?”  
   
 Iwaizumi looked at him.  
   
 “You’re still here.”  
   
 “I don’t care what you say,” murmured Iwaizumi, “I’m not leaving you alone now.”  
   
 “Ah.” Oikawa smiled. “I just… want to think, for a bit.”  
   
 “I won’t bug you,” promised Iwaizumi. “Think as much as you want. I’ll just be, here. If you need me.”  
   
 Oikawa smiled and offered his hand. “Walk with me?”  
   
 Iwaizumi let their fingers interweave together. “I’d love to.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Oikawa took a deep breath. Only a day since the funeral, and now he had to deal with… this. He took the seat in the stuffy office and looked across the desk. Sectin officials. Kenma had sent him a memo letting him know what would be up, and Kiyoko had forwarded him some information telling him who he would be meeting with. Ennoshita Chikara, Narita Kazuhito, and Kinoshita Hisashi. The three heads of intersector conflict resolution. Oikawa eyed them all. “Hello.”  
   
 Ennoshita cleared his throat. “Thank you for seeing us.”  
   
 “I kind of have to.”  
   
 Ennoshita gave a sad smile. “Well, let’s… just get to it.” He flipped through papers. “In your mother’s will, she left everything to you.”  
   
 Oikawa nodded. “I see.”  
   
 “This, technically speaking, includes her Sector.” Ennoshita swallowed hard. “Tokyo.”  
   
 Oikawa scratched his nose. “Oh.” He looked up. “Wow.”  
   
 “Yeah, wow…”  
   
 Kinoshita cleared his throat. “Technically you could just jump right in as the new leader, but that would be pretty unwise.”  
   
 Ennoshita nodded. “It’s the bloodiest Blood Ring.”  
   
 “And,” said Narita, “The amount of assassination attempts on your mother have counted to three digits…”  
   
 “Yeah I don’t…” Oikawa shook his head. “I’m not going to be living there… so I don’t want it.”  
   
 Ennoshita nodded. “So we have to figure out what to do with it.”  
   
 “Give it up? Can I do that?”  
   
 “Well, yes.” Ennoshita rubbed his jaw. “But the Sector is quite something. You could sell it for a lot of money, or support for your own Sector. Tokyo is worth a lot, and there are a lot of rich folk that would want to get their hands on it. You could get quite a boon with it. But you might want to put thought into who you choose as the next leader.”  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes darkened. “I’d further the Blood Ring if I’m not careful.”  
   
 “Yeah, and.” Kinoshita gave an awkward smile. “With how close Yokohama is to Tokyo, that could be a huge threat to your own Sector, and your Lights.”  
   
 Oikawa leaned back in the chair, eyes zoned out. “I see.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Asahi meeped. “Yes?”  
   
 Oikawa eyed him carefully. Ennoshita had been kind enough to let him borrow his desk to perform the interviews. This person, however, Oikawa didn’t know what to expect. He read the name over again, _Azumane Asahi,_ and looked up. A soft heart of all things. “How do you feel about Tokyo, specifically the Blood Ring? What would you do if you were given control over the Sector?”  
   
 Asahi frowned and put his hands together, swallowing hard. “End the Blood Ring.”  
   
 Oikawa raised an eyebrow.  
   
 Asahi looked at him, gaze firm. “Make it a proper Sector.”  
   
 Oikawa crossed his legs behind the desk. “You’re the first one to say that.”  
   
 Asahi meeped again, firmness lost as he awkwardly mumbled something.  
   
 “I’m glad,” added Oikawa. “But it’ll be hard, you know? You’ll get some major pushback… and my mother had assassination attempt after assassination attempt. You’ll have to be vigilant… I’ve confirmed Sectin will support any change to lessen the Blood Ring, so you won’t be alone, but it’ll be the Sector against you.”  
   
 “I’ll manage.”  
   
 Oikawa raised an eyebrow. “I trust your motives, but…”  
   
 “You’re wrong.” Asahi shook his head. “There won’t be that much pushback. The people there… they don’t like the ring. Nobody does. But people think that’s just the way it is, so that’s the way it has to be. All it takes is one person to pop the balloon and then it’s done. That’s… what I believe, anyway.”  
   
 Oikawa eyed him carefully. “You’re brave.”  
   
 “Aha…” Asahi scratched his cheek. “No, I’m not…”  
   
 “Why are you in Tokyo?”  
   
 “I… my family’s there.” Asahi smiled. “I love the city, love the people, love everything… but the Blood Ring has to go.”  
   
 Oikawa nodded slowly. “Yokohama’s not that far away, and we have some Lights who can teleport. Call on us if you need.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Oikawa was exhausted, to say the least. He was walking home in the rain. Iwaizumi had been texting him endlessly, and Sugawara had done the same but with too many train noises. It was exhausting. He had gotten a text from Kuroo, though, asking if he could come over. He said yes, simply because he wanted company. He told Iwaizumi about it, asked him to be there as well. Iwaizumi said yes. But as he was walking, he paused. He looked to the side, into an alleyway.  
   
 In a suit and tie, Akaashi was leaning against the wall.  
   
 Oikawa blinked. “Hey.”  
   
 Akaashi offered a gentle smile as he pushed off the wall. “May I walk with you?”  
   
 “Yeah.” Oikawa smiled and they began walking. “How are things?”  
   
 “Good, I guess.”  
   
 “I haven’t seen you guys in a while.”  
   
 “Well, we didn’t walk away clean from that fight.” Akaashi winced. “We’re still recovering. Near death experiences apparently give you paid time off… so it’s not too bad. That manager of yours… I wasn’t aware of her healing powers. She calls it the power of All. Interesting.” He realised he had gone off topic and shook his head. “Apologies. As I said, we’re off duty. Kenma’s had his hands full, though… reversing a death certificate for someone who ‘died’ four years ago is by no means easy.”  
   
 “And Bokuto?”  
   
 “He’s… himself.” Akaashi made a face. “He’s enjoying his time off, to say the least. Not that that’s a bad thing. But, Koutarou aside… I heard you met with Sectin today.”  
   
 “Yeah. We… discussed Tokyo.”  
   
 “Your decision?”  
   
 “I’ll end the Blood Ring.” Oikawa looked up as they walked. “I’ll end her legacy… I don’t want people to remember her for that.”  
   
 “Hm. Koutarou said you would do that.” Akaashi smiled. “There will be quite a lot of resistance, though… Koutarou said, when we recover, perhaps it’s best if we serve in Tokyo, to clean it all up.”  
   
 Oikawa looked at him.  
   
 “Kuroo-san wants to stay here, I think… and Kenma wants to be fairly close.” Akaashi’s eyes softened. “I think Kenma thinks the way you do: He doesn’t want people remembering her for what happened after the accident.”  
   
 “Kuroo,” murmured Oikawa. “He wants to stay here?”  
   
 “I’ve had a lot of time to talk to him. He and Koutarou get along a little too well.” Akaashi looked at him. “Tooru,” he said firmly, “I know you have mixed feelings… but I can tell… Kuroo wants to know you, to meet you… Forced family feelings are hardly foreign to me, but believe me… having someone who tries, or at least cares, is something you shouldn’t throw away. You never know when you’ll need someone.” He paused, and Oikawa did too.  
   
 Oikawa looked back at him.  
   
 “That being said.” Akaashi crossed his arms. “If you do need help, and I find out you didn’t ask me, I’ll be offended.”  
   
 Oikawa smiled. “Thanks, Keiji.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “You should have been there!” she screamed in Oikawa’s apartment, “You should have been there for him!”  
   
 Oikawa stared at the exchange, awkwardly.  
   
 Sugawara and Iwaizumi did too.  
   
 Oikawa opened his mouth to speak but,  
   
 “Yeah,” Kuroo said. “I should have.”  
   
 There was a pause. Both Sugawara’s mom and dad, who had been yelling at him endlessly suddenly didn’t know what to say.  
   
 “I should have been there for him, but I wasn’t. I didn’t know it was this bad, but… that was my fault.” Kuroo bowed to them, low. “Thank you for taking care of him.”  
   
 Sugawara’s parents shifted uncomfortably.  
   
 Kuroo lifted his head and turned to Oikawa. “So, um. Nice hair, kid.”  
   
 Oikawa didn’t know why he blushed, but he did. “Thanks.”  
   
 “Is that gel, or just bad bed head?”  
   
 “Bed head,” admitted Oikawa. “You?”  
   
 “Same.”  
   
 “Oh.” Iwaizumi smirked. “There we go: The mystery of your stupid hair has been solved. Shitty genetics.”  
   
 Oikawa gasped. “Iwa-chan!”  
   
 Sugawara snorted.  
   
 “Kou-chan!”  
   
 Iwaizumi laughed, and so did Sugawara.  
   
 Oikawa did his best not to, but smiled wide. “I hate you guys.”  
   
 Kuroo chuckled as well.  
   
 After a while, they dispersed themselves and snacked and talked. Oikawa moved to the window and stared outside.  
   
 Kuroo stood next to him. “So, um… you want to stay here, then? In this apartment?”  
   
 “Yeah.” Oikawa nodded. “You could stay in mom’s room if you want… she hardly used it, though.”  
   
 “Well… I know I kind of, dropped in your life, without warning, but I don’t want to fuck anything up.” Kuroo ignored the look Oikawa gave him. “I’ll get my own place. Close enough if you need me, but you’re used to living alone… I can’t just barge in here.”  
   
 Oikawa nodded, and then lowered his head. “Hey, um… Kuroo?”  
   
 “Yeah, kid?”  
   
 “She loved you.”  
   
 Kuroo’s eyes widened, ever so slightly.  
   
 Oikawa swallowed hard and looked at him. “The way she talked about you, the way she told me stories about you two… she loved you.”  
   
 “I’m not the only one.” Kuroo smiled softly. “I saved her letters, all the ones about you. If you want, I’ll let you read them. It’s obvious she cherished you more than anything.”  
   
 Oikawa felt a pang in his heart, but nodded. “I’d like that… to read them.”  
   
 “I’ll get them for you,” promised Kuroo. “But… Tooru? You… you did the right thing.”  
   
 Oikawa nodded. He knew it was true; but, still, it was nice to hear.  
   
 Kuroo poked his hair. “I like the pink.”  
   
 Oikawa laughed. “Thanks.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “Tooru!” Jurou yelled as soon as the door opened. “Hajime told me, about… about your mom…”  
   
 Oikawa blinked, but nodded.  
   
 Jurou hugged him tight.  
   
 Oikawa smiled into the hug.  
   
 Jurou pulled away. “How are you handling it?”  
   
 “I’m… okay,” he admitted. “I’m as good as I’ll get.”  
   
 Jurou nodded. “If… I can do anything…”  
   
 “I’ll let you know.”  
   
 Jurou smiled, then glanced at Iwaizumi (who had been giving him weird looks since that hug). “So are you two… together?”  
   
 Oikawa glanced at Iwaizumi, saw the face, and laughed. “Yeah.” He smiled. “We just got into a fight. We’re teenagers. That’s what we’re supposed to do, right?”  
   
 “Of course. Harumi and I fought all the time! But it was mostly her yelling at me, and me crying, but still.” Jurou smiled. “Everybody hits road bumps… it’s what you do after that matters.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 During class, Ittetsu put a hand on Oikawa’s shoulder. He didn’t say anything, but Oikawa knew. It was support. And it was more than enough.  
   
 At anime club, they were watching some episode. Oikawa had forgotten about the snacks, but Hinata had taken over. Tsukishima was there too, helping, only because Hinata had asked. Yamaguchi was explaining the premise of the story to Kageyama, who didn’t understand anything. Kageyama was there because the volleyball team won their match and Daichi decided to take one practice off (“It’s the only practice you’ll ever get off, so enjoy it!”), so Kageyama went to spend time with Yamaguchi.  
   
 Sugawara was sitting next to Daichi, but they were zoned out, just holding hands and feeling each other again.  
   
 Iwaizumi waited until everyone was either focused or distracted before hugging Oikawa, who sat in his lap, a little tighter. “How are you?”  
   
 “I’m… okay.” Oikawa looked at him. “A little annoyed, to be honest… everyone’s being so nice… I just want it to all be normal… I want my routine back.”  
   
 “Hm.” Iwaizumi nodded. “But it’s better than everyone being rude.”  
   
 Oikawa laughed. “Yeah.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 While they were walking home, they paused. They looked behind them.  
   
 Kiyoko stood with a binder in her hands. “Hello.”  
   
 Oikawa blinked. “What is it?” He paused. “Sorry, that was rude… It’s not that I don’t want to talk to you, Ki-chan, it’s just—”  
   
 “I understand,” assured Kiyoko. “But.” She opened her binder and pulled out a piece of paper. “This is the Sector Registration Form. Now’s not the best time, I know, but it takes a few months to get processed, so I figure we might as well send it in now… It’s all been filled out, just your signature.”  
   
 Oikawa looked at the piece of paper. “Why?”  
   
 “I’ve asked the others, Tooru.” Kiyoko handed the piece of paper. “Just look.”  
   
 All the data was filled out, and after _1) Sector Leader:_ there was a blank, but…  
   
  _2) Hinata Shouyou  
   
 3) Tsukishima Kei  
   
 4) Tsukishima Akiteru  
   
 5) Sugawara Koushi  
   
 6) Yamaguchi Tadashi  
   
 7) Kageyama Tobio  
   
 8)  
   
 9)  
   
 10) Manager: Shimizu Kiyoko_  
   
 Oikawa looked at it. Kiyoko offered him her binder and pen. He signed his name, and then offered it back.  
   
 Iwaizumi frowned. “Should I…?”  
   
 “Don’t.” Oikawa stared at him. “I know you want to support me, but you have your own life, your own commitments. Right? Help as long as you’re here, Hajime.”  
   
 “It’s not that I don’t want to…”  
   
 “A Sector,” said Kiyoko, “Only needs five members. We have seven. Once we are finalised, you can sign up as a temporary member.” Kiyoko put the form back in her binder and closed it. “It’s obvious you haven’t decided yet. It is… a big decision. This is our last year in high school… where we’ll all be next year is still a mystery.”  
   
 “Yeah.” Oikawa held Iwaizumi’s hands. “And we still have the rest of the year together, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “Yeah…” Iwaizumi sighed. “I’ve applied to business schools all over Japan… we’ll see what I get.”  
   
 “You can do it online, you know?”  
   
 Iwaizumi snorted. “Aren’t you tempted to make this work?”  
   
 “I’m just being blunt about it.” Oikawa smiled. “You want this to work too, don’t you? You’ll do anything, I bet.”  
   
 Iwaizumi nodded slowly. “I would.” He pulled Oikawa into a kiss.  
   
 Kiyoko quietly chuckled before turning and leaving. As always, people didn’t notice her come or go, but that was fine. She’d rather not ruin the moment if she could. She slipped away with a smile on her lips.


	40. Roses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Words can't express how thankful I am for all of your support. I... don't even know where to start, how to start. All I can say is thank you all for reading this much of my fic. I know Guns and Roses is a little... out there, LOL. This isn't my usual kind of fic to write but I've really enjoyed writing all of it. So, I'm not sure what to say, but remember to drink a glass of water every now and then, eat well if you can, don't forget your meds, take care of yourselves. 
> 
> Also, I realised I never mentioned this but the title of the fic is actually based on Lana Del Rey's song, _Guns and Roses._
> 
> Please enjoy the last chapter, and don't forget to drop me a comment if you liked it! Nothing would make me happier. <3
> 
> * * *

 Even though he knew people wanted heroes when danger was creeping up, he also knew that no one ever expected a seventeen year old guy in knee-high black socks, a light blue skirt, black sports bra, and an unbuttoned light blue dress shirt to be the one to save the day. That was half the reason Oikawa Tooru did it, though. In his left hand he had a long rifle, about two and a half meters in length, and in his right hand was a chainsaw. A lighter chainsaw, made to be wielded one-handed. Brilliantly blue in soft moonlight, Oikawa did a fluid flip over the creature – his opponent – and landed with grace.  
   
 Oikawa twisted his body and aimed his rifle. “Pew pew, motherfuck—”  
   
 Photon moved through the sky as gates of light opened, spearing the monster and shattering its existence.  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes widened; he twisted, aiming his gun skyward. “Hey!” He eyed Angel warily. “I’ve had enough of you… That one was mine!”  
   
 Sugawara hung in the sky, mask off, wings stretched out. “Sorry.” He smiled and blew a little kiss. “But you’re too slow, Tooru.”  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes flicked to the side, seeing a new monster form from the darkness. He kicked off the ground with one foot to spin quickly; he aimed his rifle—  
   
 Gates of light opened.  
   
 “God damnit, Kou-chan!” Oikawa’s eyes narrowed. “That one was mine too!”  
   
 “Gotta pick up the pace!” Sugawara chuckled as he fired three more beams, killing off others.  
   
 “Ugh.” Oikawa noticed one charging at him. He glanced up to Suga, to see he was busy, and smirked. He dove at it with his weapon but—  
   
 A chainsaw tore it apart.  
   
 Oikawa’s eyes widened. “Dad!”  
   
 “I apologise,” said Kuroo as he flipped over Oikawa, “For not being sorry.” He brought his spinning blade down and sliced through another.  
   
 “That was mine!” Oikawa pouted. “You dirty kill-stealer! Get out of here!”  
   
 “Tooru.”  
   
 Oikawa turned.  
   
 Iwaizumi had a beast completely caged in blades. “You can have this one.”  
   
 “Iwa-chan!” Oikawa jumped up on one foot and his eyes became pulsing hearts. He ran over and did a twirl as he cut it apart. “You’re the best boyfriend ever, Hajime!”  
   
 “Gotta be.” Iwaizumi shrugged. “Since you’re so useless on your own.”  
   
 “Hajime!”  
   
 Suga, in the sky, snerked to himself and rubbed his nose. He ignored the dirty look Oikawa shot him, as did Kuroo – who just guffawed into roaring laughter.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
  _Dear Tooru Oikawa  
   
 Congratulations. We are happy to inform you that we have received, and accepted, your Sector Registration form. Your hard work has allowed Yokohama to become a full-fledged Sector. Please take pride in this accomplishment, as Sectin has a very selective process with rigorous standards.  
   
 Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefect, will have the randomised Sector ID 207981. This will be your login information for all administrative purposes on official Sectin servers. Your password is currently: 9DFJT-KSUJ4-K3JF0-2KF92. You will be asked to change this upon login. Your registered manager is Kiyoko Shimizu.  
   
 We look forward to working with you to ensure a controlled balance for the Light and Dark. Your registered manager has been given additional information should you need any. Welcome to Sectin, and thank you for your service.  
   
 Sincerely,  
 Senior Sector Administrator,  
 –Akane Yamamoto_  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 It was the middle of December, and Yokohama was notably colder than last year. They woke up around the same time, but Iwaizumi went back to sleep. Iwaizumi mindlessly enjoyed Oikawa’s soft breathing, soft skin, soft hair… He remembered how little Oikawa actually moved when he was asleep, but in sleep Oikawa would do little nose nudges against him. Iwaizumi focused on how Oikawa had huddled into the crook of his neck, nuzzling the warm, good safety.  
   
 Oikawa had made himself as small as possible and pressed himself into Iwaizumi as much as possible. Oikawa felt the one lazy arm around him and he nuzzled Iwaizumi.  
   
 Oddly enough, the feeling reminded him of stackable cups. The way things fit together, so well, that they must have been designed that way. They worked so well together.  
   
 They fit so well together.  
   
 Iwaizumi closed his eyes and nuzzled the top of Oikawa’s head, nuzzling the soft brown strands. He kissed Oikawa’s head and smiled.  
   
 Oikawa couldn’t help but smile as well. Oikawa wondered if there would be snowfall this year, but he doubted it – up until that morning, when he saw a couple snowflakes in the air. They melted before they hit the ground, but Oikawa crossed his fingers. Maybe, even for just one day, a bit of snow would be cool. He had gotten out of bed—slipping away from Iwaizumi’s arms—and decided he would treat his boyfriend to breakfast.  
   
 Of course he didn’t know how to cook, though…  
   
 He rummaged through Iwaizumi’s kitchen, finding a loaf of milk bread Iwaizumi had made yesterday. He popped it in the oven to make it toasty, and then got to work with the only thing he could make.  
   
 Eventually Iwaizumi, shirtless and only wearing boxers, yawned as he stepped in the kitchen. “Tooru?”  
   
 “Morning, Iwa-chan!” He waved excitedly before pouring a beverage. “There’s milk bread getting all nice and warm, and look! I made you hot chocolate. And I filled it straight to the top.” He offered it carefully. “It’s the only thing that’s straight or top about me when I’m around you.”  
   
 Iwaizumi smirked and walked over. He kissed Oikawa’s cheek and carefully took the hot chocolate. “I don’t know about that.” He blew on it carefully. “You topped me pretty good last night.”  
   
 “Well no one’s saying I _can’t_ do it—I can do anything, Hajime—but I’m a bottom boy, versatile at best.”  
   
 Iwaizumi snorted. He sipped the drink. “Wow, this is pretty good.”  
   
 “Thanks!”  
   
 “Ready for today?”  
   
 “Mhm!” Oikawa poured himself a mug and then grabbed it. “Too bad it’s too hot to drink.”  
   
 “Just blow on it.”  
   
 “Hajime, I’m faithful: You’re the only one I blow.”  
   
 “I hate you.”  
   
 “No you don’t.”  
   
 “No I don’t.”  
   
 Oikawa grinned. “But yeah.” He kissed Iwaizumi’s cheek. “Today is a big day. Someone’s gonna wear a skirt… and it’s not me! Well, it’s also me, but it’s not just me.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
  _ **Has the worst already passed?**  
   
 Today marks six months since several magnetic storms damaged large portions of Yokohama. While city officials are not exactly sure as to what was the cause of the storms, scientists have reported that it is not likely to occur again. It remains a great mystery as to how there were no deaths, since entire streets were overrun with chaos. In the heart of downtown, an office building collapsed at roughly one in the morning, but it was far from any residential areas or apartment complexes. “A blessing,” one woman said, “It must have been a blessing.”  
   
 Although nobody was killed, there were quite a few injuries, and a few people were in critical condition. Luckily everybody has fully recovered. We caught up with one of the patients who requested to remain anonymous, and he said, “I’m just glad it’s over. I’m not sure what’s different, but the city feels… safer.”  
   
 According to recent polls, this seems to be the overall feeling here in Yokohama. Even if the dangerous mysteries are mysteries, they’re coming to an end._  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 The classroom was dressed up in silky pink curtains and covered in sparkles. While some students would rather be caught dead then go into an anime club maid café, the aroma of freshly roasted coffee won almost all of them over. But Oikawa had expected this. He wasn’t a basic bitch. He knew all about cafés—after all, he had gone to Owl so many times, and that had to count for something, right?  
   
 Right?  
   
 Oikawa didn’t look at the numbers—he knew they were making money. School festivals were hardly to be seen as money-making opportunities, but the anime club didn’t get as much funding so Oikawa had profits on his mind. But he didn’t look at the numbers. Every table was full, at every second of the day. He knew, even though he’d soon graduate, he would leave the club with a final gift—enough money to get by a few bad years.  
   
 Hinata tugged Oikawa’s sleeve. “Senpai, table for you.” He smiled as he pointed behind him with his thumb.  
   
 Oikawa glanced to Hinata’s orange skirt, and then back up, smiling. “Sure.” He looked at the table and noticed it wasn’t in his section, though it was obvious why it was given to him. He walked over, with four menus in one hand and a pot of coffee in the other, and put the menus down in front of his customers. “And what can I get the four of you?”  
   
 “Coffee,” said Kenma in his usual whisper. “All around.”  
   
 “And!” Bokuto threw a fist into the air. “Pastries!”  
   
 “Hm.” Oikawa smiled. “Alright. What are you guys doing?”  
   
 “Hey,” Kuroo said with a smile, “Don’t make us sound devious.” He was sitting next to Kenma, across Bokuto. They all knew, below the table, his fingers were interwoven with Kenma’s. “I can’t even check out my kid’s café? You’re doing pretty good.”  
   
 Kenma gave an awkward smile. Over the past few months Kenma had – somehow – morphed into some awkward step-mother-like figure for Oikawa, but not in a bad way. If anything, Oikawa was glad. He knew Michimiya – the real one; the whole one – would be happy that they somehow formed an awkward family unit together.  
   
 That they moved on.  
   
 Found peace.  
   
 Akaashi, who played both roles as mediator and wise aunt, sat back in his chair. “Perhaps we were just around, Tooru.”  
   
 Oikawa snorted.  
   
 Bokuto grinned. “Of course we wanted to see you! We had to. Plus, you rock the skirt even when you’re just a human!”  
   
 Kenma’s eyes scanned the room. “Your boyfriend’s not wearing a skirt.”  
   
 Oikawa glanced over his shoulder. The sight of his boyfriend – in what he wore – took his breath away. He cleared his throat and remembered the pot of coffee. He poured four cups, leaving enough room for them to add cream or milk if they wanted to. “Well.” He smiled. “I should have figured he was up to no good. He didn’t complain once when I told him he had to wear a skirt—and a pretty skimpy skirt, you know?”  
   
 Akaashi glanced as well. “So what happened?”  
   
 “He just came in, in a tight-fitted suit and tie—bastard probably knows I have a suit kink… All the girls were gawking over him… and the boys… Shou-chan actually started drooling.” He looked over again.  
   
 Iwaizumi was pouring coffee for a table of two, both girls blushing to the nines. His hair was neatly combed, suit crisp and tight in all the right places, hugging his figure and broadening his shoulders. He was probably bringing in the most money out of everyone there.  
   
 “Hm.” Bokuto grinned. “Looks like he got you good.”  
   
 “Yeah.” Oikawa smiled. “I don’t mind though.”  
   
 Kenma tucked some of his hair behind his ear. “How have you been?”  
   
 “Good!” Oikawa nodded. “Sector’s going well, income’s coming in. Kei’s thinking of going to the Academy, to amp up his spell power. No final decisions yet, but I guess he cares a lot more than he lets on.”  
   
 Kenma nods. “And the others?”  
   
 “Tobio pisses me off at how good he is, and Tadashi’s a hard worker. Shouyou’s doing well, faster than ever, Akiteru’s mostly busy with university, but Koushi’s been a big boost to us too.” Oikawa smiled. “Hajime’s helping too. Temporary members don’t get quite as high of a paycheck, but… he plans on going to school, and money helps.” Oikawa’s expression dipped noticeably, but he smiled again. “Still… my Sector’s finally come together.”  
   
 “What about,” Kenma said as he nudged Kuroo, “This one?”  
   
 “Useless.”  
   
 Kuroo gawked. “Hey!”  
   
 Oikawa chuckled. “How have you guys been. How’s Tokyo?”  
   
 “The progress,” Kenma said slowly, “Is simply unbelievable.”  
   
 “I heard it’s been declared free of any Blood Ring affiliations?”  
   
 “Yes.” Akaashi grabbed his coffee and sipped it, black. “There’s still some resistance, but the recovery has been much faster than anticipated. Realistically we could leave, but… we won’t let our guards down either, even if it may be unnecessary.”  
   
 “Yeah!” Bokuto gulped his coffee down—it was closer to lukewarm with how much cream he put in, and it was sweeter than mochi with the eight packets of sugar he used. “Asahi was definitely a good choice!”  
   
 Oikawa’s smile turned to a grin. “I’m glad.”  
   
 Kuroo smiled and leaned over to kiss Kenma’s cheek. “You’re working hard.”  
   
 “Yes.” Kenma’s eyes were sharp. “And apparently you’re hardly working.”  
   
 “Yeah,” Oikawa hissed through grit teeth. “Kill-stealer!”  
   
 Kuroo grinned. “Guilty as charged!”  
   
 Kenma sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “You’re like a child… Signing up as an official member for your son’s Sector, and you don’t even do the required work.”  
   
 “But you still love me, right?”  
   
 Kenma’s cheeks warmed and he looked away. “No.”  
   
 Kuroo cleared his throat before making his voice super high pitched, “I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Tetsuro!”  
   
 “Shut up!” Kenma jabbed his stomach with his elbow. “I never said that. Stop lying.”  
   
 Kuroo whimpered.  
   
 Bokuto grinned. “You totally said it.”  
   
 Akaashi smiled. “Stop teasing him.”  
   
 “Children.” Kenma rested his feet on his chair so he could hug his knees. “All of you.” He looked at Akaashi. “Even you.”  
   
 “We’re the kids?” Kuroo grinned. “Didn’t someone say ‘Daddy’ over and over last night?”  
   
 “Didn’t.” Kenma sunk his head between his knees. “Only once.”  
   
 Oddly enough, it was Bokuto who resisted saying a word, while Akaashi blurted out, “Far more than once.”  
   
 Oikawa laughed. “So what pastries do you guys want?”  
   
   
 After far too much bickering, eventually Oikawa got away and walked to the person acting as host. He tapped him on the shoulder. “Tada-chan?”  
   
 Yamaguchi blinked and turned, smiling. Yamaguchi had upgraded from Yama-chan to Tada-chan, but both nicknames still seemed odd to him. “How can I help, Senpai?”  
   
 “I wanted to talk to you, about next year. We need a new president of the club, you know?”  
   
 “Oh.” Yamaguchi nodded. “Yeah.”  
   
 “It would look great on your résumé!”  
   
 “Me? No…” Yamaguchi tilted his head. “I’ve only been here for half a year…”  
   
 “But you’ve been good, and helped a lot. You really stepped up to the plate. Hell, we wouldn’t have half of this organised if it weren’t for you.”  
   
 “But…?”  
   
 “What are you worried about?” Oikawa looked around. “Everyone at the club likes you, respects you, and trusts you. If you don’t want to, that’s fine, but if you want to take it – then take it, Tada-chan.”  
   
 Yamaguchi looked at him and nodded. “I’d, be honoured, actually. That sounds amazing… Thank you.” He grinned. “I think it’ll be a lot of fun, and I’ve got some ideas…” He scratched his nose. “I hope they like me.”  
   
 “Okay, but listen.” Oikawa grabbed his shoulders. “The first and second years will do everything in their power to get Boku no Pico chosen. I need someone strong—someone I can trust.”  
   
 “I—I understand!”  
   
 “Great! Now.” Oikawa turned him around. “Go tell your boyfriend the good news!” He shoved Yamaguchi hard.  
   
 Kageyama appeared, out of thin air, and caught the flying Yamaguchi.  
   
 Yamaguchi blushed. “H-Hey.”  
   
 Oikawa busied himself away, but mostly listened in. Tobio-chan having a boyfriend was so weird? Honestly, Oikawa didn’t know how the dumb blueberry managed to get a shy little cutie like Yamaguchi, but power to the socially awkward. Or something.  
   
 “K-ku-Kuut-Cute… skirt,” murmured Kageyama as he played with the ruffles.  
   
 Yamaguchi didn’t mind, just smiled. “Oikawa just told me I’m going to be the president of the anime club next year.”  
   
 Kageyama’s eyes lit up. “Daichi announced I’ll be the captain of the volleyball club.”  
   
 Yamaguchi grinned. “We’ll be busy next year… third year and all.”  
   
 “We’ll spend time together.” Kageyama smiled—a real smile—small, warm, bright. “On the Dark.”  
   
 Yamaguchi nodded. “Yeah… I can’t wait. Next year will just be… a lot of things. I’m excited.”  
   
 “Me too.”  
   
 Oikawa stopped listening and looked away. It finally sunk in. He realised that his last year at Aoba Johsai was coming to an end.  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
  _Dear Iwaizumi Hajime  
   
 As an internationally-renown university, we would like to commend you for being admitted to the Ryuutani School of Business! Your credentials indicate that you are precisely the kind of engaged, thoughtful student with many interests that will thrive in this environment.  
   
 We would like to invite you and your family to our campus in early March (date to be confirmed soon) for an early orientation of what you can expect as a student. You will have exciting meetings with current students, faculty, and alumni! You will soon be emailed your student ID and login, so please register in advance when you get the chance.  
   
 More information will be emailed to you soon. We look forward to your engagement with our academic institution._  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Oikawa walked in the break room after a quick conversation with Iwaizumi, which more or less was Oikawa telling Iwaizumi that they were going to fuck in suit and skirt, in the bathroom, as soon as Iwaizumi got his break. Iwaizumi’s only reply was a sultry, _“Yay, it’s your cunt.”_ to which, of course, by the powers that aligned the universe, Oikawa whispered back, _“Yay, it’s my cunt!”_  
   
 Oikawa, however, didn’t realise he had walked in on something important until he saw Sugawara and Daichi, hands together, looking at him. Oikawa blinked. “Sorry—am I interrupting?”  
   
 They were sitting at a table, serious looks on their faces.  
   
 Daichi shook his head. “No, we just finished.”  
   
 Sugawara nodded.  
   
 Oikawa blinked. “Finished what?”  
   
 Suga sighed. “Talking.”  
   
 “I’ve.” Daichi swallowed hard. “Been accepted to one of the top universities for engineering, overseas.”  
   
 “Which means…” Suga didn’t have to say it, but he did, “Since I’m staying here, we’ll have to adjust to a long distance relationship.”  
   
 Oikawa looked at Suga, then Daichi, then Suga, then Daichi. “Is that gonna be a problem?”  
   
 Daichi squeezed Suga’s hands. “I thought it would be but—”  
   
 “Kou-chan your boyfriend’s stupid.”  
   
 Sugawara erupted into laughter. He threw his arms around Daichi and squeezed him. “He’s not stupid!” He chuckled as he kissed Daichi’s forehead, pressing his head against his chest. “I mean, a little bit, but…”  
   
 “I was just worried…” Daichi hugged him back, listening to his heartbeat.  
   
 “Worried?”  
   
 “I don’t know, worried for the worst… Maybe you needed something, here.”  
   
 “We’ll visit lots.” Suga pulled away and smiled. “On holidays, and we’ll call a lot.”  
   
 Daichi smiled. “You’re right.”  
   
 “Good.” Sugawara reached his hand back and then slammed it in Daichi’s stomach, eyes closed as he smiled wide, yelling, “Don’t worry!”  
   
 “Plus!” added Oikawa, with a finger in the air. “The internet is a powerful thing. I mean, just look at all the nudes you guys share. Wow, right? I needed to up the game with Hajime and I after I saw all that stuff.”  
   
 Sugawara’s smile fell and he looked at Oikawa, empty gaze. “What are you talking about?”  
   
 “Let’s just say, note to self: Do not go through Sugawara Koushi’s phone because holy shit you’re going to see a _lot_ of dick—more dick than you can Google! I swear to God, you two are filthy. You need Jesus. And that’s coming from me.”  
   
 Sugawara got up.  
   
 Oikawa’s breath hitched in his throat. “It was an accident!” Oikawa waved his hands around and took a step back. “I didn’t mean to…”  
   
 “You totally meant to!”  
   
 “Well of course I meant to!” Oikawa laughed. “But I didn’t think you’d be into all that dirty stuff—I mean, daddy kink I already knew about, and things like bondage and biting are kinda common—but wow there was leather and spanking and begging and cum marking and cock worship and—”  
   
 There are times… few and far in between… in emergencies, where every day people achieve superhuman strength. There are many recorded cases where, after seeing someone stuck under a vehicle, a simple average person is flooded with adrenaline and cortisol, stress hormones, which gives them the power to lift the car. The damage to the muscle tissue is felt afterward, but for a single shining moment humans achieve the impossible.  
     
 That was what happened when Sugawara screamed, high-pitched and filled with the terrors of all eight gates of hell, “SHUT UP!” He grabbed Oikawa by the shirt and threw him across the room, breaking eight tables in the process.  
   
 It all happened just as Iwaizumi walked in. He saw the damage and simply said, “Whatever happened, you probably deserved it.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
  _ **Washing Away Bloodstains: End of the Blood Rings**  
   
 It’s hard to believe that it’s only been six months since Asahi Azumane took control of Tokyo, the deadliest Blood Ring. After the death of its previous owner, Michimiya Oikawa, her son Tooru Oikawa – who is also the owner of the famed Yokohama Sector – inherited the Sector, and gave it to Asahi Azumane in a joint operation to end the Blood Ring.  
   
 Sectin officials, including the upcoming Junior Administrator of Irregular Unit, Keiji Akaashi, who will take office next month, aided in the restoration process. From Sectin officials, this effort was led by Kenma Kozume, the well-known Irregular Unit official who has turned down over forty administrative jobs, saying he prefers to be on the field to find the irregularities faster.  
   
 With assistance from Tooru Oikawa’s Yokohama Sector, Sectin was finally able to declare that Tokyo would not revert back to a Blood Ring, even with the remaining resistance. With the fall of the world’s deadliest Blood Ring, the remaining forty-five Blood Rings began their own restoration processes, some completely without Sectin aid.  
   
 A striking announcement from Sectin this morning states that the last two Blood Rings, Samara, Russia, led by Alisa Haiba and Chiba City, Japan, led by Suguru Daishou, have been declared free of Blood Ring tendencies.  
   
 With global resistance down, Sectin says it can finally move forward to legislate against Blood Rings—a movement that could not be done before due to the heavy dangers to legislators._  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Moving into the bathroom stall together, Iwaizumi wasted no time slipping a hand up Oikawa’s skirt, slipping through the underwear, and slipping two fingers inside. Oikawa gasped, sharply, and Iwaizumi shushed him warningly. Oikawa grinned, moving his hips up and down, fucking himself on Iwaizumi’s fingers. He grabbed onto Iwaizumi’s collar, humming warmly as he squeezed on the fingers. He felt Iwaizumi’s thumb on his clit and he smirked, pulling him closer.  
   
 Iwaizumi whispered, “You’re so fucking wet.”  
   
 Oikawa’s cheeks flushed, but he kept smiling. “I fucking love suits… You’ve been driving me crazy all day.”  
   
 “Yeah?” Iwaizumi smirked as he moved his fingers quick, watching Oikawa squirm and writhe. “Your cute little skirt’s been driving me up the wall.”  
   
 “You like my skirt?”  
   
 “Been wanting to fuck you like this for a long time, Skirt.”  
   
 “You wanna fuck Skirt with your Blade?”  
   
 Iwaizumi snorted. “I hate you.”  
   
 “Hajime.” He groped Iwaizumi’s crotch. “Just stick it in, damnit.” He unzipped his pants and stuck his hand in the hole, grabbing Iwaizumi’s cock and pulling it out. He gave it a teasing squeeze.  
   
 Iwaizumi fought back a moan and kissed Oikawa’s neck. “Fine, but you better shut up. If we get caught, we’re both going to be expelled.”  
   
 “Oooo.” Oikawa grinned. “That just makes me wetter.”  
   
 “Shut up.” Iwaizumi didn’t comment on how it made him harder. He pushed his hips forward, letting Oikawa guide his cock against his cunt. Iwaizumi pushed in and quickly sheathed himself completely, pressing the base of his cock against Oikawa completely. They both moaned, too heavy, too hot, too loud.  
   
 Oikawa kept his legs open as best as he could while Iwaizumi started thrusting. He arched his back against the wall of the bathroom stall and grabbed his mouth to stop another noise. It just felt so good. Big and thick, hot and warm, filling him, moving through him, fucking him, moving deeper into his core… Oikawa shivered and squeezed on the cock. He brought his other hand down, moving under the skirt, and played with his clit, rubbing circles around it.  
   
 The sight was hot. Iwaizumi kept fucking. He used a hand to toss up Oikawa’s skirt, uncovering the sight, watching himself slide into that tight hole over and over, watching Oikawa play with himself. He saw Oikawa’s other hand move away from his mouth and Iwaizumi dove in, capturing Oikawa’s mouth with his own.  
   
 Oikawa felt Iwaizumi’s tongue slip in and he smirked into the kiss. He teased Iwaizumi with some teeth as their bodies moved against each other. His free hand moved to his chest, unbuttoning the button-up shirt that soon parted to reveal his toned chest. He felt so vulnerable, underwear somehow discarded, skirt lifted, shirt opened, while a clothed man in a suit fucked him raw. It was like one of his dirty fantasies. He squeezed on Iwaizumi’s cock and watched him shiver.  
   
 Iwaizumi broke the kiss. “You do that on purpose.”  
   
 “Mhm.” Oikawa smirked wide. “You like what you see, Hajime?”  
   
 Iwaizumi smirked as he picked up the pace. “You know I do.” He moved an arm under Oikawa and lifted him up.  
   
 Oikawa yelped, legs wrapping around Iwaizumi’s waist. Oikawa gasped. He was so, fucking, wet. His body was tingling, all over, down to his core. He felt like he was burning, and it was amazing. His pussy throbbed and he whimpered, squeezing on the cock inside him.  
   
 Iwaizumi held up Oikawa by the strength of his arms alone and the support of the bathroom stall wall. He fucked faster, faster, needing more. Oikawa was so hot and wet, tightening around him more and more as they went. He kept sinking himself into the heat, burying his cock in the tightness.  
   
 Oikawa whimpered and put his arms around Iwaizumi’s neck. “Fuck you’re so hot right now!”  
   
 “Shut up,” hissed Iwaizumi. “We can’t get caught.”  
   
 “Mmm, there’s no one here…”  
   
 “Just shut up!”  
   
 Oikawa smirked and kissed Iwaizumi.  
   
 Iwaizumi grinned. He looked down, watching himself slide in and out. It was mesmerising. “I love watching you touch your clit.”  
   
 “Yeah?” Oikawa blushed. He thought that was kind of weird at first, but he knew when he was on top he loved watching Iwaizumi jerk off, and that was the same thing. “You like my pussy?”  
   
 “Mmmmm, yeah.” Iwaizumi kept fucking him. “You like my cock? Inside you?”  
   
 “Hells to the yes.” His knees twitched, toes curled, while his hand moved against himself. His other hand moved forward, touching Iwaizumi’s chest, feeling the soft fabric of the suit, barely registering the high quality of the fabric. He moved a hand up, over Iwaizumi’s throat, giving a playful squeeze, watching Iwaizumi give him a smirk.  
   
 “Tooru, what are you up to?”  
   
 “Nothing….” Oikawa gasped as his hand moved up, touching Iwaizumi’s face. He saw his hair, all combed properly, so proper… He ruffled Iwaizumi’s hair, messing it all up. Oikawa’s body hugged around the cock, making it feel so much bigger and thicker, and he moaned loud.  
   
 “Shush,” Iwaizumi hissed again.  
   
 “But Hajime…” Oikawa whimpered. “I’m gonna…” His hand became shaky on himself, eyes wide as his mouth opened, making an ‘O’ shape as he began panting heavier, heavier.  
   
 “You’re gonna cum for me, you little slut?”  
   
 “Mhm.” Oikawa nodded. “I’m gonna…”  
   
 Iwaizumi began rocking into him rougher, fucking him harder, feeling Oikawa tighten and squeeze around him; the friction becoming unbearable and addictive. Iwaizumi also began panting, fucking harder and harder, needing more and more. “You like that, you little slut?”  
   
 “Yeah, yeah,” Oikawa whispered. “Fuck me, Hajime… fuck me harder!”  
   
 Iwaizumi began moving his hips so hard that each thrust began shaking the walls of the bathroom stall, rattling the whole structure. Each thrust send ripples of feeling and waves of pleasure through them; as their support shook and rattled, it felt like the world was on the verge of breaking as they sped up against each other.  
   
 Oikawa gasped and whimpered, squeezing tighter and tighter until he screamed, eyes snapping shut as his whole body shook—squeezing on Iwaizumi as he came.  
   
 Iwaizumi kept going, more and more, faster and faster, until his grunts were animalistic and his panting was audible and echoing in the bathroom. With one final thrust that shook the whole bathroom, Iwaizumi pushed himself in as deep as he could go, closed his eyes, and felt himself shiver as he shot out hot white deep inside Oikawa.  
   
 Oikawa, limbs shaking, whimpered and could barely breathe with his erratic heartbeat.  
   
 Iwaizumi was the same, clutching onto Oikawa as he held him up.  
   
 Chest against chest, they felt each other’s lungs shaking, body’s shivering, hearts beating like a marathon, then slowing down to a run, then a walk, and back to normal. They must have stayed against each other for ten or so minutes before they opened their eyes.  
   
 Oikawa smiled. “Think anyone heard us?”  
   
 “If… no one’s come by now, then no.”  
   
 “Good.” Oikawa nuzzled Iwaizumi’s neck. “We got away with it… we should totally do this again.”  
   
 Iwaizumi nuzzled into Oikawa’s neck, feeling him close. “We are not doing this again.”  
   
 “We should do this again, Iwa-chan.”  
   
 “We’re totally doing this again.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
  _[Oikawa Tooru, 3:40pm] Iwa-chan look at this picture it’s technically a selfie of us  
   
 [Iwaizumi Hajime, 3:42pm] How many times do I have to say it? STOP. CREAMPIES ARE DESSERTS! BANANA CREAMPIE, COCONUT CREAMPIE! THEY’RE INNOCENT AND THEY DON’T DESERVE THIS!  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 3:42pm] aS IF YOU DIDNT SAVE THE PICTURE ALREADY  
   
 [Iwaizumi Hajime, 3:43pm] Of course I did. BUT. STOP CALLING IT THAT. THEY ARE INNOCENT SWEET DESERTS. THEY DON’T DESERVE THIS._  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 “Um, Senpai?”  
   
 Oikawa glanced over his shoulder. They were cleaning up the café when Hinata looked at him with an odd kicked puppy look. Oikawa tilted his head. “How can I help?”  
   
 “Um!” Hinata shivered and vibrated before making erratic hand movements. “How do you—You know—do…” He flailed his arms around. “With two…” He scrunched up his face and tilted his head. “You know?”  
   
 “Nope.”  
   
 “Um…” He put his hands together and looked down. “Like… I think, Kei and I… I mean, he… wants to… I mean I want to too! But… I don’t know how to…” He wiggled to the left. “I mean we’ve been together for a while and I’m like ready, but…” He wiggled to the right. “I don’t… know how to, uh…”  
   
 “What’s up, Shou-chan.”  
   
 “How do you… um…” He looked up, face tight like a scrunched up napkin. “Anal.”  
   
 Oikawa bit down on the inside of his cheek. He wanted to laugh—loud—but he didn’t. He knew his little kouhai would probably run away and cry and hide if he did. He breathed through his nose, forcing himself to calm, and then he shakily opened his mouth. “Well, it’s a bit of a process. You need lube and preparation…”  
   
 “What’s lube?”  
   
 Oikawa’s eyebrows knit together. “Have you, uh, done anything with Kei-chan?”  
   
 “Y-Yeah!” Hinata made more arm movements. “Like hands and mouths and stuff, but… not… you know! I mean, Kei had to uh, teach me? I didn’t know _anything!_ Like at all! My mom’s got like, internet protection stuff on the wifi because Natsu – my little sister – is so little but she wants to play games online, and my mom’s like a tech expert and one time I searched up boobs because that’s what other kids did and my mom found out so I can’t look up anything and so I didn’t know anything and so Kei had to uh, tell me and stuff, and it was really embarrassing, but he was really great too, and he didn’t make fun of me or anything, and he kinda… teaches me what to do, and… that’s kinda…” He wiggled his knees. “Hot…”  
   
 Oikawa looked away and willed back both a smile and a laugh. He took a deep breath and looked back at Hinata. “Then why don’t you let Kei teach this to you.”  
   
 “But! I’ll be on top, won’t I?”  
   
 Oikawa blinked. “You?” He tilted his head. “I thought it would be Kei-chan.”  
   
 “But!” Hinata frowned. “When we were fighting the big frog, you said the bigger they are the harder they bottom so doesn’t that mean I should be on top? I don’t know if I can be on top—I feel like I don’t know what I’m doing, and he should be on top!”  
   
 Oikawa grabbed his mouth and began shaking to fight back laughs. “Shou—” He grabbed his mouth to stop a chuckle. “Shou-chan.” He quickly took another breath. “Just do what you feel comfortable with. Plus, you’re total bottom bitch material.”  
   
 “Hey!” Hinata pouted. “Wait. What? Why? Is that a good thing? Senpai?”  
   
 Oikawa giggled and tried to wave it off.  
   
 “Well, I guess a little… I like it when he takes the lead, but… I don’t know. I’m not like, totally a bottom bitch, am I?”  
   
 “No one’s completely one way or the other, Shouyou.” He thought of Suga’s conversation with Daichi. “Unless you’re into heavy BDSM stuff, but some of us have our preferences. Your body is yours to explore as much or as little as you want. Find out for yourself what you like.”  
   
 “Oh.” Hinata blinked. “Do you…” His cheeks began to burn. “Do you, um… top Iwaizumi-san?”  
   
 Oikawa smirked. “Of course I do.”  
   
 “Whaah!” Hinata bounced up. “And does he like it?”  
   
 “Of course!”  
   
 “Gwah!” Hinata bounced up again. “And he tops you?”  
   
 Oikawa patted Hinata’s head. “Yes. There’s no right or wrong way to do anything… just, do whatever feels right. And if you last longer than eighteen seconds on your first time, you win.”  
   
 “What do I win?”  
   
 “I’ll… adjust the schedules, and give you a week off from the Dark.”  
   
 “But!” Hinata pouted. “I’m the Second in Command! I need to be on the field more, and get better!” He frowned. “I need to make sure I don’t even last eighteen seconds on my first time!”  
   
 Oikawa stared at him. “Good luck, Shouyou.”  
   
 “With sex?”  
   
 “With life.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
  _[Sugawara Koushi, 6:02pm] Hey, I know this is sudden but could you take my shift tonight?  
   
 [Iwaizumi Hajime, 6:08pm] Something come up?  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 6:09pm] Daichi wants to go out tonight. I really want to see him.  
   
 [Iwaizumi Hajime, 6:11pm] Yeah, he told me he’s going overseas.  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 6:12pm] *Sad train noises*  
   
 [Iwaizumi Hajime, 6:14pm] Aww, pumpkin. I’ll take your shift.  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 6:17pm] Thanks. I’m just, really scared idk. I feel like my time with him is limited.  
   
 [Iwaizumi Hajime, 6:17pm] Yeah?  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 6:19pm] Idk. But you get it, right? Like. If you get accepted overseas… you’ll go. And you’ll have to leave Tooru behind. Sure, you’ll still date, but it’ll be tough.  
   
 [Iwaizumi Hajime, 6:20pm] Suga, you two will be fine.  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 6:20pm] *I guess kinda maybe idk train noises*  
   
 [Iwaizumi Hajime, 6:21pm] He survived you in a coma, didn’t he?  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 6:21pm] *You’re kinda right train noises*  
   
 [Iwaizumi Hajime, 6:21pm] You can’t do train noises like that.  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 6:22pm] *At least the first time I fucked Tooru I lasted more than eighteen seconds train noises*  
   
 [Iwaizumi Hajime, 6:22pm] LISTEN. There was foreplay before that. Low blow, man.  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 6:23pm] Hehehehehehehe.  
   
 [Iwaizumi Hajime, 6:25pm] At least that’s not train noises.  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 6:25pm] *Hehehehehehehe train noises*  
   
 [Iwaizumi Hajime, 6:25pm] Go back in a coma.  
   
 [Sugawara Koushi, 6:25pm] LOL_  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 Days passed, weeks passed. Oikawa was sitting on his couch, leaning on Iwaizumi. Sugawara and Iwaizumi were talking. They were waiting on Lev before they went out for dinner. Oikawa had zoned out of the conversation and began thinking. It was almost Christmas. They had gotten a couple snowflakes, but not too many. They had one snow day, and after getting a snowball in his face – from Ushijima of all people (“Isn’t that a normal activity people our age do when it snows?”) – he decided he preferred no snow.  
   
 The weather cooperated.  
   
 Oikawa glanced over to the shrine on the far side of the room. It was a small thing, with his mom’s picture and a few shinto and buddhist things. He didn’t know anything about them, but Tsukishima organised the small shrine after Oikawa said he wanted one. He thought back to the letters Michimiya had written to Kuroo, how full of life and love they were. He smiled. It still hurt, there was no doubt, but he didn’t mind. It wasn’t the sharp knife it used to be, no, now it was just a little pang on his heart, reminding him that yes he had lost, but he had been blessed with something that was worth hurting.  
   
 The fact that Michimiya, in her whole form, was even in his life for a short while was a blessing.  
   
 Iwaizumi’s arm around Oikawa’s waist tightened.  
   
 Oikawa glanced at him.  
   
 Iwaizumi tilted his head. “You okay?”  
   
 Oikawa nodded. “Yeah. Just thinking about silly stuff.”  
   
 Sugawara, who sat on the floor looking at them, said nothing.  
   
 Oikawa chuckled softly. “I’m fine. Better than fine, just… really content with the world.”  
   
 Suga smiled.  
   
 Iwaizumi did too.  
   
 Oikawa closed his eyes and leaned back against Iwaizumi. He thought about Iwaizumi, and how Iwaizumi was technically a registered Temporary Sector Member. He got a paycheck, but it was less than the others. He didn’t want a full job, because… Because he wasn’t sure where he’d be. Oikawa bit his lip. He thought of Daichi, moving away for university. Would Iwaizumi do the same? Most likely. What was it Daichi had said? _Maybe you needed something, here._ Maybe. Maybe Oikawa was that type.  
   
 He didn’t think any less of long distance relationships, but they were for some people and not for others.  
   
 Oikawa wasn’t sure if he could do it.  
   
 Maybe he could—maybe he was just afraid.  
   
 Three knocks on the door.  
   
 Oikawa straightened his back. “It’s open!”  
   
 The door opened and Lev stepped in, followed by Yaku. Lev was holding a big stack of papers and he ran over to them and jumped on the couch. “Aniki!”  
   
 “Otouto!”  
   
 “Fuck my life,” murmured Suga with an eye roll.  
   
 Iwaizumi snorted.  
   
 Yaku stepped in politely and gave a little dip of his head.  
   
 “What’s this?” asked Oikawa as he grabbed the stack of papers. “A manuscript? You wrote another light novel?”  
   
 “Well!” Lev grinned wide. “Well, actually… it’s a full novel, but… You know how I’ve been writing like mad for the past six months? Well I wrote a book, but then I felt like it had too much backstory and too much potential… so I decided to write a prequel to be book one, and then that book I already wrote would be book two, and I just finished outlining a book three! And I got some offers for a trilogy, and I was uh… hopping maybe you could… read… it?”  
   
 Oikawa blinked. Lev looked legit afraid that Oikawa would say no. He grinned. “Of course. I would love to, Otouto!”  
   
 “Aniki!”  
   
 They embraced tight.  
   
 Oikawa pulled away. “Am I the first to read it?”  
   
 “Well, uh, no.” Lev laughed. “Yaku’s been helping me as I go! He’s kind of like my editor now?”  
   
 Oikawa blinked and looked at Yaku.  
   
 “He kept giving me excerpts. They were good, but…” Yaku sighed. “He leaves off so many sentences half-done I want to hit him, so I kind of tore into his grammar. I’m probably nowhere as good as a _real_ editor, but it’s fun to do between my classes.”  
   
 Iwaizumi cleared his throat. “Could I… get a chance to read it? I liked your last two books.”  
   
 Lev’s eyes lit up. “You read it?”  
   
 “Yeah, they were amazing.”  
   
 “Really?” Lev jumped out of his seat and began flailing his limbs. “Also—you were right—I spiced up the octopus girl with lemon! It was a genius idea, thank you!”  
   
 Iwaizumi frowned for half a second before smiling. “You’re. Welcome?”  
   
 Sugawara laughed. “Looks like you got yourself a little book club.”  
   
 “I’ll print off a second manuscript if you want!”  
   
 “It’s okay.” Oikawa laughed. “We can share.”  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
  _[Oikawa Tooru, 11:42am] Sushijima listen tHE FUCK UP I have bIG NEWS  
   
 [Ushijima Wakatoshi, 11:58am] I cannot listen over text, but I will pay attention.  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 12:01pm] LISTEN UP I JUST SAW SAEKO ON A DATE WITH AKITERU!???  
   
 [Ushijima Wakatoshi, 12:06pm] Are you sure it was a date?  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 12:08pm] Oh man my chimichangas are rUSTLED THE FUCK UP  
   
 [Ushijima Wakatoshi, 12:09pm] Translation?  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 12:10pm] I am 100% sure it was a date  
   
 [Ushijima Wakatoshi, 12:13pm] That must have been awkward, to see both of your exes dating each other.  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 12:14pm] LMAO nah bro I’m way over both of them bUT ISNT THAT LIKE EXCITING!???  
   
 [Ushijima Wakatoshi, 12:14pm] Not particularly. But if they are happy then I am happy for them.  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 12:15pm] oH M YGOD what if i hooked up all my exes together?? I could get u a date, Sushijima! What about Kiyoko?? She’s pretty!  
   
 [Ushijima Wakatoshi, 12:18pm] I decline.  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 12:18pm] She’s a fuckn nerd like u tho  
   
 [Ushijima Wakatoshi, 12:19pm] Thank you for the offer, but no thank you.  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 12:19pm] Listen, everyone needs someone!!  
   
 [Ushijima Wakatoshi, 12:22pm] Not everyone. And I have someone. Maybe.  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 12:22pm] what  
   
 [Ushijima Wakatoshi, 12:22pm] I’m not 100% certain we’re dating but I think we may be.  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 12:22pm] wHAT  
   
 [Ushijima Wakatoshi, 12:22pm] We went for dinner, and I paid, and we kissed, but we never explicitly said we were dating.  
   
 [Oikawa Tooru, 12:22pm] wHAT THE FUCK. WHAT’S HIS NPME? WHATS SHE LIKE? TELL ME RIGHT NOW OR MY PUSSY’S GOING TO FALL OFF  
   
 [Ushijima Wakatoshi, 12:27pm] That is neither anatomically nor physically possible. And Tendou is… odd. I am unsure how to deal with him, but… he’s… enjoyable to be around?  
   
 [Ushijima Wakatoshi, 12:28pm] I suppose he’s something else.  
   
 [Ushijima Wakatoshi, 12:28pm] And  
   
 [Ushijima Wakatoshi, 12:28pm] Before you ask  
   
 [Ushijima Wakatoshi, 12:28pm] Yes, he’s cute._  
   
 ~ ~ ~  
   
 On the roof of the school, Kiyoko sat along the railing. There was a large fence a small distance away, and she sat on the railing with her back to the fence. She looked over her shoulder, looked out to the view of the city. Class had ended for the day. They had been discussing Sector business for about half an hour until the conversation devolved into completely unrelated things, as usual.  
   
 “I told you about Akiteru and Saeko, right?”  
   
 Kiyoko nodded.  
   
 “Oh!” Oikawa’s eyes lit up. “And Sushijima totally met this guy at his university, you know?”  
   
 Kiyoko’s eyebrows furrowed. “Sushijima.” She tilted her head, eyes serious. “Is that nickname better than Ushiwaka to you, now?”  
   
 “Oh my God.” Oikawa gasped. “I can call him… Sushiwaka!”  
   
 Kiyoko put a hand to her lip and nodded firmly.  
   
 “What about you, Ki-chan?” Oikawa leaned on the railing and hummed. “You and Yachi. I know it.”  
   
 “Hmm…”  
   
 “There’s something there, isn’t there?”  
   
 “Not… exactly.”  
   
 “What?” Oikawa blinked. “I can smell the gay!”  
   
 “It’s not that I don’t like her… but Tanaka-san… the first year, Tanaka Ryuunosuke…”  
   
 Oikawa blinked. “Wait, what?”  
   
 “I think I like… both of them.”  
   
 Oikawa stared at her and then grinned. “So which one are you going to pick?”  
   
 “I’ve noticed this about myself for a while.” Kiyoko tucked some of her hair behind her ear. “I don’t think I’m… wired, for monogamy. It’s odd, though, and not exactly doable. I’m older, and it’s a complicated relationship. I’m not sure I want to… venture, into that territory yet. I’ll still be here though, and if they want to venture into something polyamorous with me when we’re older, I’ll be interested, but… I have a lot going on in my life, right now.”  
   
 “Hmmmm.” Oikawa smiled softly. “Your thesis, huh? Alls and Nones?”  
   
 “Alls and Nones…” Kiyoko’s eyes softened. “It’s how we gather power from the Light, to transform. While some people go over the edge by relations of family—Alls—others can find the doorway to the dark by themselves—Nones. It doubles as a measure for how much we rely on other people, and need other people. But it is a spectrum. Even people as polar as you and Iwaizumi-san… Iwaizumi-san still needs you, and you are completely capable of being independent. But that’s how people are: We are all social creatures, even to varying degrees, but it’s what we are. Independant social creatures, that can work together to be more.”  
   
 “It doesn’t matter if we’re different.” Oikawa looked up. “We kill more bad guys when we’re together!”  
   
 Kiyoko chuckled, quiet and soft, and brought up a hand to cover her mouth as she did. She smiled at him. “Kenma and Akaashi-san are going to help me gather empirical data to support my theory, but it’s just a hypothesis right now. It’s got a long ways to go… who knows what else we’ll learn?”  
   
 Oikawa grinned at her. “In the end, though, it was because of you we won.”  
   
 Kiyoko adjusted her glasses. “Yes, but in that very same sense it’s because of everyone we won.”  
   
 “First place prize: Shimizu Kiyoko!”  
   
 “I don’t know about that, Tooru. We all supported each other at different times, creating a web of interdependence that solidifies each of us. Perhaps that’s what Sectin wants, in the end, isn’t it? Is that why they want five fully committed members? For that web.”  
   
 “Web?” Oikawa chuckled. “The word is team, Ki-chan.”  
   
 Kiyoko chuckled again and nodded.  
   
 “And teams have MVPs, you know? Most valuable player!”  
   
 “I disagree, but I’ll take the compliment.”  
   
 Oikawa laughed.  
   
 The creak of the rooftop door opening caught their attention.  
   
 Oikawa turned.  
   
 Iwaizumi stepped out. He looked across the rooftop, bathed red and orange by the sunset. He blinked when he saw Oikawa. He had expected him to be there, but the sight of him in the sunset, pink highlights burning warmer, made his heart beat a little faster. Still, after all these months… after all these years. It still felt like a rush of young love, a rush of something new. Iwaizumi forgot why he came, but noticed Oikawa had a blank expression on his face.  
   
 Little did he know Oikawa was feeling that same warm rush, like a perfect hug, consume him fully.  
   
 Kiyoko dipped her head and stepped off the railing. She gave a small wave before leaving, disappearing without notice as usual.  
   
 “H-Hey.” Oikawa smiled, wide. “What’s up?”  
   
 “Nothing.” Iwaizumi walked over, smiling. “Just figured you’d be up here…”  
   
 Oikawa laughed and nodded. “You know…” He raised a hand to chest level, then dropped it. “I’ve been thinking…”  
   
 “Thinking?”  
   
 “About life, and the future, and everything that comes next.” Oikawa swallowed hard and turned back to the railing, leaning on it with both arms. “But I don’t know where to start.”  
   
 “Don’t worry about it. Take as much time as you need.” Iwaizumi put his hands in his pockets. “Are you done with Lev’s new book yet?”  
   
 “Almost, actually.” He smiled. “Hajime?” He looked over his shoulder. “When did you read his other books?”  
   
 “Oh… it was when we were… not talking.” Iwaizumi scratched his cheek.  
   
 “Ah. Okay.” Oikawa nodded. He thought back to their arguments about Sector and Sectin, “You can go, you know?”  
   
 Iwaizumi looked at him, the back of his head. “Huh?”  
   
 Oikawa didn’t want to turn around. It was easier this way. “I mean… you don’t want to be chained here, and I respect that. We’ll make it work, wherever you go. You don’t have to stay, not here, with me… I mean… I want you to, but I want you to get your education if that’s what’s most important to you, I mean—”  
   
 “I get it.”  
   
 Oikawa took a deep breath and lowered his head.  
   
 “And you’re right.” Iwaizumi looked up again. “My education is what’s most important to me. It’ll be what I’m following, my priority.”  
   
 “As it should be.”  
   
 “Well… I guess I should mention what I’m doing next year.”  
   
 Oikawa looked over his shoulder.  
   
 “I didn’t want to tell you until I got it confirmed, but I got my letter yesterday.” Iwaizumi glanced at him. “Yokohama’s a port town, you know? International trade is booming here. Tons of national business hot shots. The universities here are pretty good too with all that, but they’re competitive to get in. The recommendation letters from Sectin helped, but I think it was mostly because someone helped me get my math grade in the nineties…”  
   
 Oikawa turned around, eyes wide.  
   
 “So, yeah.” He scratched his nose, looking away for a second before looking back at Oikawa. Iwaizumi felt his cheeks warm and his lips tug up into a smile. “But looks like I’m staying here for a few more years, so… I guess we got a little longer together.”  
   
 Oikawa was silent for a full minute. His feet kicked off the ground and he flew at Iwaizumi, tackling him.  
   
 Iwaizumi barely caught Oikawa, yelping as he adjusted his feet so they didn’t fall over. He felt both of Oikawa’s arms tight around him, face digging into his neck. He smiled then grinned, nuzzling Oikawa’s cheek.  
   
 “Really?” came Oikawa’s voice, soft, “Really really?”  
   
 “Yes, Prince.” Iwaizumi pulled away just enough so he could press their lips together. “I’m stuck with you for a little while longer, apparently. I can’t promise forever—”  
   
 Oikawa shook his head. “This is more than enough…” He pressed their mouths together again, closing his eyes as his fingers pulled at the fabric of Iwaizumi’s shirt. He pulled away, feeling his heart beat too fast. “Can you say that again? Call me that again?”  
   
 “Hmm.” Iwaizumi knew he was blushing. “Say please.”  
   
 Oikawa frowned.  
   
 “What am I saying? Royalty doesn’t say please.” Iwaizumi laughed. “You spoiled brat…” He kissed him one more time. “I love you, Prince.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Fan-art Compilations:**  
>  • [Fanart: Tsukishima Temple by Kookie!](http://nikooki.tumblr.com/post/129180888938/i-tried-drawing-one-of-the-backgrounds-from)  
> • [Fanart: Oikawa and Iwaizumi by Kookie!](http://nikooki.tumblr.com/post/133964591333/i-had-the-random-idea-of-doing-a-speedy-run-draw)  
> • [Fanart: Hinata by Kookie!](http://nikooki.tumblr.com/post/135898428458/a-smol-draw-for-remembrance123-merry-christmas)  
> • [Fanart: Oikawa by Powerhh!](http://powerhh.tumblr.com/post/161864202168/heres-my-take-on-oikawa-from-the-fanfic-guns-and)  
> • [Commission: Oikawa by Hanatsuki89!](http://hanatsuki89.tumblr.com/post/161556818273/commission-for-remembrance123-oikawa-from-his)  
> • [Fanart: Sketches of Multiple Characters by foeyauic!](http://remembrance123.tumblr.com/post/168552971305)


End file.
